Indianapolis 500 fans were thrilled with the at-the-finish-line battle between Felix Rosenqvist and David Malukas. Rosenqvist edged Malukas by 0.0233 seconds, the closest 1-2 finish in race history.
An even closer battle occurred just behind them.
Scott McLaughlin finished third, Pato O’Ward fourth and Marcus Armstrong fifth, separated by 0.155 seconds. In this photo snapped an instant after they crossed the finish line, the three are almost side-by-side-by-side.
Meanwhile, how ’bout that battle for third? đł #Indy500pic.twitter.com/aC4vsL4fKe
â MurderHawk (@MurderHawk500) May 24, 2026
Armstrong started the 1-lap finishing shootout with the lead, but Malukas quickly passed him. Armstong and Meyer Shank Racing teammate Rosenqvist spent most of the lap battling side-by-side until Rosenqvist cleared Armstrong in Turn 4. Meanwhile, O’Ward was trying to find space to pass them and McLaughlin stayed slightly behind the mayhem.
As Rosenqvist and Malukas battled for the win, McLaughlin pulled a move similar to Rosenqvist, slipping to the outside of O’Ward. O’Ward passed Armstrong, who had taken an inside line.
What’s the difference in that less-than-1-second 1-5 finish?
Here are last year’s winnings for the top 5 finishers.
- Alex Palou, $3,833,500
- David Malukas, $667,300
- Pato O’Ward, $951,000
- Felix Rosenqvist, $769,500
- Santino Ferrucci, $707,500
Based on this â beyond having a named etched on the Borg-Warner Trophy for eternity â Malukas could lose more than $3 million. The difference between 3rd and 5th for Armstrong could be about $250,000.
This year’s race winnings will be released later today.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis 500 2026: How close was the finish? How much did it cost them in winnings?