Swede Felix Rosenqvist won an absolutely memorable edition of the Indianapolis 500 this Sunday, May 24, after a final lap that has already entered the history of the event.
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The Meyer Shank Racing driver triumphed after a spectacular three-wide battle in the last kilometers, marking only the fifth decisive pass on the final lap in 110 editions of the Indy 500 and the closest finish in the event’s history.
Leading before a caution caused by Caio Collet (Foyt) with less than ten laps to go, Rosenqvist seemed to have control of the race. But the final restart completely reshuffled the cards and offered a legendary scenario.
In the final straight
Starting fourth on the grid, the Swede had built his race on a bold strategy. Taking advantage of a caution during the rain arrival in the middle of the race, he managed to position himself in a window potentially allowing him to finish with one less stop than the leaders, including Álex Palou (Ganassi) and David Malukas.
The final caution with eight laps remaining seemed to ruin this ideal scenario: “Before the yellow flag, the situation was perfect for us,” he says. “We could run fast while saving fuel.”
The Meyer Shank Racing driver admits to feeling frustrated when the safety car came out: “I was negative at first, of course. But then, you had to move forward and, paradoxically, I felt better being the hunter rather than the hunted.”
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With this victory, Felix Rosenqvist joins Kenny Bräck and Marcus Ericsson in the list of Swedish drivers victorious at Indianapolis.
Grosjean in the top 10
The only Frenchman at the start, Romain Grosjean (Coyne) started in the last third of the field but quickly played a leading role by opting for an alternate strategy when he stayed out during the first caution. A momentary leader, Grosjean ultimately stayed in the top 10 based on pit stops until the finish, crossing the line in ninth place, his best result at Indy 500, after making the biggest comeback in the field.
Long in contention for the win, Pato O’Ward (McLaren) had to settle for fourth place and is fifth in the championship, still led by Palou (273 points) ahead of Malukas (236) and Kirkwood (224). The next IndyCar event is already scheduled for the coming weekend on the streets of Detroit.
Note the eighteenth place of Mick Schumacher (RLL), the highest-ranked rookie ahead of Denis Hauger (Coyne), who was penalized in the pit lane.
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