Click for more.
The final lap of wheel-to-wheel racing to take the checkered flag at the Indianapolis 500 culminated in the closest finish in the 110-year history at the Brickyard. However, it was only one of the “500” or more heart-throbbing moments that inarguably supports the claim that the 500 is the “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Felix Rosenqvist drove the high line against the concrete wall exiting Turn 4 on Lap 200 in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian and powered past the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet of David Malukas to triumph by .0233 of a second. The previous closest finish in “500” history came in 1992, when Al Unser Jr. held off a charging Scott Goodyear by .043 of a second.
“We just won the Indy 500! What an incredible month. I just want to say thank you to my team Meyer Shank Racing, and to Honda for giving me an incredible car. What a last lap, I can’t wait to re-watch it. It was the craziest racing ever, but it was fair—I think that’s what the fans wanted to see. And it was also the closest finish ever! It’s been an unbelievable month for me. I became a dad just 16 days ago, and now I’m an Indianapolis 500 winner. I feel like I’m still in a dream, so I’m still taking it all in. Thank you, everyone,” said Rosenqvist.
The 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge race results: Click here
Indy 500 Quick Laps
- This was the first career Indianapolis 500 victory for Felix Rosenqvist in his eighth career 500 start.
- Felix Rosenqvist won by .0233 of a second over David Malukas, the closest finish in 500 history. The previous closest finish came in 1992 when Al Unser Jr. beat Scott Goodyear by .043 of a second.
- The 110th Indy 500 scored an event-record 70 lead changes. The previous record was 68, in 2013.
- Felix Rosenqvist is the third Swedish driver to win the Indianapolis 500, joining Kenny Brack (1999) and Marcus Ericsson (2022). Brack led 66 laps in 1999, Rosenqvist 25 laps today and Ericsson 13 laps in 2022.
- Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian earned its second Indianapolis 500 victory, the team’s two NTT IndyCar Series victories. Helio Castroneves earned his record-tying fourth “500” win for the team in 2021.
- This year’s finish marks the fifth time in “500” history that the driver leading the race lost on the last lap. In today’s race, David Malukas lost the lead on the last lap to Felix Rosenqvist. Other last-lap finishes with a lead change:
-
- 2024: Pato O’Ward lost the lead on Lap 200 to Josef Newgarden
- 2023: Marcus Ericsson lost the lead on Lap 200 to Josef Newgarden
- 2011: JR Hildebrand lost the lead to Dan Wheldon on Lap 200
- 2006: Marco Andretti lost the lead to Sam Hornish Jr on Lap 200
- Felix Rosenqvist is 34 years old. The last 34-year-old to win the “500” was Helio Castroneves in 2009.
- This is the eighth time the car that started fourth won the Indianapolis 500. The last winner from the No. 4 starting spot was Takuma Sato in 2017. The event record is 21 winners from the pole.
- This is the 17th Indianapolis 500 victory for a Honda engine, second to Offenhauser’s 27 wins.
- This is the first time car No. 60 has won the Indianapolis 500.
- Mick Schumacher was the top-finishing rookie today, in 18th place.
- Romain Grosjean advanced more positions than any other driver, finishing ninth after starting 24th.
- Conor Daly recorded the fastest lap (225.126 mph) of the race on Lap 182.
- In the past six Indianapolis 500 races, only 2025 winner Alex Palou and 2022 winner Marcus Ericsson were able to hold the lead over the final 10 laps.
- There were three drivers who led the Indianapolis 500 for the first time: Marcus Armstrong, Caio Collet and Romain Grosjean. The record is seven, in the inaugural race in 1911.
- Pato O’Ward finished fourth, his fifth top-four finish in his seven career starts. None were victories.
- The 2026 Indianapolis 500 had 14 different lap leaders, tying for third-most in race history with the 2013, 2023 and 2025 races. The 2024 race holds the record at 16 different lap leaders, while the 2017 and 2018 races had 15 different lap leaders.
- Helio Castroneves dropped out of the 2026 race due to mechanical issues on Lap 194. This is the third time in 26 career “500” starts he was not running at the finish. He holds the records for number of finishes on the lead lap and running at the finish.
- On Lap 112, Helio Castroneves surpassed A.J. Foyt as the Indianapolis 500 all-time mileage leader and went on to complete 194 laps. Castroneves has completed 12,480 miles in the Indianapolis 500. The previous record was Foyt’s 12,272.5 miles.
- Ed Carpenter completed his 23rd career “500” start without a victory, the most winless starts of any driver in event history. George Snider made 22 starts between 1965-87 without a win.
- Scott Dixon led 32 laps in the 2026 Indianapolis 500, extending his career laps-led record to 709 laps. He has also led a record 17 races.
- Pole sitter Alex Palou led the most laps (59) in the 2026 race. This is the 28th time the pole-sitter has been the top lap leader of the race.
- In 2026, Santino Ferrucci completed the full 500-mile distance for a record eighth consecutive year, all of his career “500” starts.
- Alex Palou and Scott Dixon traded the lead a record 26 times in the 2026 race. The previous record of lead changes between same two drivers was 18, between James Hinchcliffe and Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2016.
IndyCar Cheating or Rules Violations Again
IndyCar Officiating announced a post-race technical inspection penalty for the entry of No. 10 of Chip Ganassi Racing. During post-race inspection of car No. 10, IndyCar Officiating discovered the front wing of car No. 10 failed the front wing height measurement. Chip Ganassi Racing was in violation of the following rule involving the speedway front wing end plate – minimum and maximum heights:
- Rule 14.7.6.8. Front wing must adhere to the following Technical Inspection dimensions
- Rule 14.7.6.7.1. For the purposes of technical inspection, the front wing must not measure less than 8.300 inches when set at any angle, while installed on the IndyCar technical inspection fixture.
Officiating “has determined that the non-compliance was the result of an assembly error and not an intentional modification. Car No. 10 has been penalized five championship driver and entrant points and the team has been fined $10,000.”
**AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Indianapolis 500 in 2026 – Closet Finish in 110 Years!
Click for more.
The final lap of wheel-to-wheel racing to take the checkered flag at the Indianapolis 500 culminated in the closest finish in the 110-year history at the Brickyard. However, it was only one of the “500” or more heart-throbbing moments that inarguably supports the claim that the 500 is the “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Felix Rosenqvist drove the high line against the concrete wall exiting Turn 4 on Lap 200 in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian and powered past the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet of David Malukas to triumph by .0233 of a second. The previous closest finish in “500” history came in 1992, when Al Unser Jr. held off a charging Scott Goodyear by .043 of a second.
“We just won the Indy 500! What an incredible month. I just want to say thank you to my team Meyer Shank Racing, and to Honda for giving me an incredible car. What a last lap, I can’t wait to re-watch it. It was the craziest racing ever, but it was fair—I think that’s what the fans wanted to see. And it was also the closest finish ever! It’s been an unbelievable month for me. I became a dad just 16 days ago, and now I’m an Indianapolis 500 winner. I feel like I’m still in a dream, so I’m still taking it all in. Thank you, everyone,” said Rosenqvist.
The 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge race results: Click here
Indy 500 Quick Laps
IndyCar Cheating or Rules Violations Again
IndyCar Officiating announced a post-race technical inspection penalty for the entry of No. 10 of Chip Ganassi Racing. During post-race inspection of car No. 10, IndyCar Officiating discovered the front wing of car No. 10 failed the front wing height measurement. Chip Ganassi Racing was in violation of the following rule involving the speedway front wing end plate – minimum and maximum heights:
Officiating “has determined that the non-compliance was the result of an assembly error and not an intentional modification. Car No. 10 has been penalized five championship driver and entrant points and the team has been fined $10,000.”
**AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.