Indianapolis 500 Finish Is Race's Closest Ever

Felix Rosenqvist wins after record 70th lead change
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 24, 2026 3:58 PM CDT
In Race's Closest Finish Ever, Rosenqvist Wins at Indianapolis
Felix Rosenqvist, of Sweden, walks to his car during practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 18, 2026.   (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Felix Rosenqvist swung to the outside of David Malukas, then found a way past the Team Penske driver to win the closest Indianapolis 500 in history by a margin of 0.0233 seconds on Sunday. Malukas looked like he was in position to win when he passed the race leader Marcus Armstrong off the final restart with one lap to go while Rosenqvist and Armstrong, teammates with Meyer Shank Racing, fought wheel to wheel down the back straightaway and through the fourth and final turn, the AP reports.

But Rosenqvist had just enough power to pull away from Armstrong and snake behind Malukas before making the decisive outside pass in the final 50 feet. The closest previous finish came in 1992 when Al Unser Jr. beat Scott Goodyear by 0.043 seconds. There were a record 70 lead changes, topping the 68 in the 2013 race won by Tony Kanaan, per Yahoo Sports. It was Rosenqvist's second career win in 120 IndyCar races. He is the third Swedish driver to win the race. Scott McLaughlin came in third, per USA Today.

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