INDIANAPOLIS — Meyer Shank Racing has won only two IndyCar races in the team’s career. Both have come in the Indianapolis 500.
Felix Rosenqvist won the last-lap shootout to win the Indy 500 for MSR for the first time since 2021. Rosenqvist led for most of the final stint, but a pair of cautions saw Rosenqvist surrender the lead on restarts. Still, Rosenqvist managed to take the checkered flag and become the third Swedish driver to ever win the race. It was the closest Indy 500 in history with Rosenqvist nipping David Malukas by .0233 seconds.
Here’s how it happened.
Lap 200
David Malukas took the lead from Marcus Armstrong as the green and white flags waved simultaneously for the final lap. Malukas led the majority of the final lap, including coming out of Turn 4, but Felix Rosenqvist got side-by-side and passed Malukas right before the finish line to win the Indy 500.
Lap 196 restart
The green flag was waved at the end of Lap 196, as Marcus Armstrong took the lead and David Malukas got to second ahead of Felix Rosenqvist and Pato O’Ward. A caution was then deployed for Mick Schumacher brushing the wall in Turn 2.
Lap 193
Caio Collet’s No. 4 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet caught on fire after crashing into the outside wall in Turn 2, leading to a red flag. Felix Rosenqvist led with Pato O’Ward, Marcus Armstrong, David Malukas and Alex Palou behind.
Lap 186
Felix Rosenqvist took the lead away from Pato O’Ward at the start-finish line. Both drivers had to save fuel while holding off the rest of the field by multiple seconds. Rosenqvist’s Meyer Shank Racing teammate, Marcus Armstrong, was on the same strategy and behind by more than four seconds.
Lap 167
Felix Rosenqvist saved fuel and finally pitted from the lead on Lap 167. David Malukas retook the lead ahead of Alex Palou, Scott McLaughlin, Pato O’Ward and Rosenqvist. O’Ward was on the same fuel-saving strategy as Rosenqvist.
Laps 148 and 149
The leaders — David Malukas, Scott McLaughlin, Alex Palou and Conor Daly — pitted. Of those in the pit cycle, Malukas ended up in the lead once all cars were back on track.
Lap 133 restart
David Malukas fell back on the restart as he was passed by several cars. Scott McLaughlin and Conor Daly got to the front and battled for the lead with Alex Palou tailing.
Lap 125 restart
Josef Newgarden’s left front tire hit the curb on the inside of Turn 4 and spun into the outside wall before the green flag on the restart. Newgarden was in fourth and looking to win the race after starting 23rd, but he finished in 28th. Another caution came of the crash.
Laps 115-119
The race was again under caution for raindrops. David Malukas led, followed by Alex Palou, Conor Daly, Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon.
Lap 109 restart
The track went back yellow after a 12-minute red-flag delay. Scott Dixon led out of the restart, as he was followed by Alex Palou, David Malukas, Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin. Palou and Malukas passed Dixon, and Malukas took the lead.
Laps 103-106
Raindrops began falling on Lap 103 during the caution following Will Power and Alexander Rossi’s exits from the race. The track remained yellow during the rain. After Lap 105, race control deployed a red flag to stop the race at 2:23 p.m. Scott Dixon led when the course went red.
Laps 90 and 91
Will Power’s rear locked up entering Turn 1, and he pulled out into the acceleration lane coming out of pit lane. His day finishes with a 29th-place finish.
For the second year in a row, Alexander Rossi’s No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet caught fire entering pit lane. Rossi couldn’t make it into his own pit box and was helped out of his car by Kyle Kirkwood’s Andretti Global pit crew. Rossi finished 30th.
Lap 85
Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Alex Palou and Scott Dixon traded the lead for multiple laps. The drivers worked in tandem with each other to stay at the front of the pack and prevent others from passing either at the front.
Lap 63
Alex Palou, Conor Daly and David Malukas pitted from the front of the pack. Palou came out ahead of Malukas, who came out ahead of Daly. Christian Rasmussen took the lead as they pitted.
Lap 41
Caio Collet pitted with the lead after not pitting during the first caution. Collet began the race in 32nd after his No. 4 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet failed the post-qualifying technical inspection. Conor Daly took the lead as Collet pitted.
Lap 26 restart
Ed Carpenter was amidst traffic when he made contact with Takuma Sato and spun into the wall in Turn 1. Carpenter’s 23rd Indy 500 start ends in a 31st-place finish. He has set the record for most Indy 500 starts without a win.
Alexander Rossi’s Lap 20 pit stop during the caution was remarkably slow, leaving him 12 spots behind Alex Palou on the restart. Palou was the highest of those who pitted, as he was in fifth coming out of the restart.
Lap 18
Ryan Hunter-Reay lost control in Turn 2 and crashed into the outside wall. Katherine Legge could not swerve out of Hunter-Reay’s way, as she spun into the inside wall. Both drivers’ days ended there, as Legge’s Indy 500 portion of The Double didn’t last 20 laps.
Lap 10
Alexander Rossi, despite his right ankle injury, kept pace early, as he and Alex Palou battled for the lead. Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden moved from his starting position of 23rd to 16th within the first 10 laps.
Zion Brown is IndyStar’s motorsports reporter. Follow him at @z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar’s motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to the YouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy 500 won by Felix Rosenqvist over David Malukas in closest finish in history