Felix Rosenqvist, the 34-year-old Swedish driver, triumphed at the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, celebrating his win with the traditional sip of milk. This victory marked a shift in focus for Rosenqvist, as he embraced fatherhood and felt reduced pressure in racing. His daring move in the final yards saw him overtake leader David Malukas, clinching the closest race in Indy 500 history with a 0.023-second lead. This win, his second in 120 career IndyCar starts, was especially significant as his first on an oval track.
With the arrival of his daughter Stella just 20 days prior, Rosenqvist felt he had already won this month. He remarked, “After we had our baby, Stella, I was like I’ve already won the month of May.” His previous win came in July 2020 at Road America. Neither Emille, his wife, nor their newborn daughter were present at the track.
Rosenqvist celebrated by standing atop his Meyer Shank Racing car, arms raised, before pouring milk over his head. His success this time followed five consecutive top-nine qualifying runs at the 500, but without poles. He had finished fourth twice in the past four years, including 2025, while placing 27th the other two times. Concerns about slipping away this time were allayed when he overtook Team Penske’s best finisher, pushing Malukas to runner-up again.
Helio Castroneves, a team owner with Meyer Shank, celebrated the team’s second win at the 500. The victory margin was tighter than the 1992 race where Al Unser Jr. beat Scott Goodyear by 0.043 seconds. Malukas, despite moving to second in points, expressed disappointment, believing the race was meant to be his. He stated, “I just don’t know what else we could have done. We were driving 150% that whole time.” Malukas seemed in position to champion with four turns remaining, having passed Marcus Armstrong at the final restart.
Rosenqvist, third Swede to win alongside Kenny Brack (1999) and Marcus Ericsson (2022), sensed less pressure due to fatherhood. He commented, “I think somehow this was the first time I felt less pressure because I had so much to come home to at night.” His friend, Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren, concluded fourth, marking his fourth top-five finish in four years.
The race day was intense, featuring multiple crashes and red flag delays. Rain caused a 12-minute intermission midway, and an incident with rookie Caio Collet initiated a 10-minute disruption. The final shootout was triggered when Mick Schumacher brushed the wall with three and a half laps remaining.
Alex Palou, pole winner and defending Indy champ, led 59 laps, extending his lead to 37 points despite finishing seventh. Palou faced a five-point penalty post-inspection for a technical violation deemed unintentional.
Katherine Legge’s attempt at “The Double” ended prematurely due to a collision 17 laps in. Post-check at the medical center, Legge planned to participate in the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, starting 37th.
The competition heads to the Detroit Grand Prix next Sunday.
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AP auto racing
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