Felix Rosenqvist’s historic win in the 2026 Indianapolis 500 completes a lifelong dream and places the Swedish driver in racing immortality.
Rosenqvist’s victory came in a spellbinding final lap shootout that saw the closest finish in Indy 500 history, the Meyer Shank Racing driver edging ahead of Penske’s David Malukas to win the 110th edition of the legendary race by 0.023 seconds at the line.
WATCH: Felix wins ultra thriller on the line
It marked the final act of a race-long thriller in which Rosenqvist, who started fourth, had worked his way into the lead going into the last ten laps – only for the race to be red-flagged following a crash further down the field.
That set up a breathtaking restart with four laps to go, with Rosenqvist immediately dropping down to third as Malukas and MSR team-mate Marcus Armstrong drafted past on the return to green.
Mick Schumacher then brushed the wall, bringing out the race’s final caution – and setting up an exhilarating one-lap dash to the chequered flag.
Rosenqvist ran the high line around team-mate Armstrong throughout the final lap, eventually edging ahead at Turn 4, and then ducked into the slipstream of leader Malukas as the biggest race in the world drew to a close.
In a sensational finish, Rosenqvist had just enough momentum to sweep past at the line and snatch victory, taking him into the history books forever.
Rosenqvist led a total of 25 laps and becomes the third Swede to win the Indy 500, following in the footsteps of Kenny Bräck (1999) and Marcus Ericsson (2022).
“Unreal; I still don’t believe it,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “It kind of worked out the right way when I got back to third, and then I just had to go flat out on the final lap on the high line, and it stuck.
”It was just the coolest way you can finish and win an Indy 500.”
The ”500” victory follows other marquee race triumphs for Rosenqvist, who has two wins at the Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix to his name as well as a multitude of other significant race wins across various championships. This one, however, trumps it all.
”It is without a doubt the biggest day in my career,” Rosenqvist continues. ”This is the biggest race in the world, and to win it like this – it is impossible to comprehend. I have dreamed about this exact scenario many times and today it became reality.”
The victory is Rosenqvist’s first ever on an oval in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and his second overall in the championship. The first came at Road America in 2020.
The triumph also takes on additional significance in a month when he and wife Emille also welcomed their first child, daughter Stella, to the world.
“I really miss my wife and Stella here,” Felix Rosenqvist adds. “I wish they were here with me. This whole month, becoming a dad and winning the ‘500’ … We joked about it in the beginning: ‘Maybe you’ll win the ‘500’ and have a baby.’ It’s just unreal.”
To underscore his pace throughout this year’s Indy 500 event, Rosenqvist ends the 2026 edition with the outright fastest lap of the month – the only driver to surpass 233 mph with a 233.372 mph (375,5 km/h) tour of the famed oval.
It is the second consecutive year in which Rosenqvist records the fastest lap of the Indy 500 event.
The Swede also posted this year’s fastest four-lap qualifying average at 232.599 mph (374,3 km/h).
An extensive media tour will now follow over the coming days, including a visit to New York City, before racing resumes next weekend on the streets of Detroit (May 29-31).
Felix Rosenqvist is now up to seventh in the overall NTT INDYCAR SERIES standings.
RESULTS
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Rd. 7
110th Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Motor Speedway (USA)
1: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Meyer Shank Racing, 200 laps
2: David Malukas (USA), Penske, +0.023s
3: Scott McLaughlin (NZL), Penske, +0.420s
4: Pato O’Ward (MEX), McLaren, +0.427s
5: Marcus Armstrong (NZL), Meyer Shank Racing, +0.436s
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | After 7/18 races
1: Alex Palou (ESP), Ganassi, 278 p.
2: David Malukas (USA), Penske, 236 p.
3: Kyle Kirkwood (USA), Andretti, 224 p.
4: Christian Lundgaard (DEN), McLaren, 195 p.
5: Pato O’Ward (MEX), McLaren, 188 p.
—
7: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Meyer Shank Racing, 176 p.