Felix Rosenqvist surged from third to first in a one-lap shootout to win the one hundred and tenth Operating of the Indianapolis 500.
The 34-year-old Swede went from side-by-side with Meyer Shank Racing teammate Marcus Armstrong earlier than breaking free and making a dramatic late push by Group Penske’s David Malukas in a photograph end by a slim 0.0233s.
“What a automotive, what a automotive,” mentioned Rosenqvist. “We had two automobiles in there for the win, and that is a really luxurious state of affairs to be in for a workforce. Thanks Meyer Shank Racing, Honda … I believe we had been the perfect automotive at the moment. In all conditions, we type of had it underneath management. That final yellow did not assist us, however it type of labored out the fitting manner after I obtained again to 3rd. Then I simply had a flat-out lap on the excessive line, and it was simply the best manner you possibly can win the Indy 500. I actually miss my spouse and new child baby — I want they had been right here with me.”
Malukas held second, with Group Penske’s Scott McLaughlin making a late push to 3rd. He was clearly dejected, and was in absolute tears as he shared his ideas after the race.
“I imply, I do not know what else we might have accomplished. We had been the quickest automotive that entire race. I do not know. I gave it 150%, I nearly crashed this automotive each rattling lap and we nonetheless find yourself with a P2. I simply cannot imagine it. I do not know what else I can provide.”
Malukas then added: “I give all the pieces to this workforce. We have had such a stellar season this entire month. They provide us a lot assist, all the pieces I wanted. I simply cannot imagine it. We’re gonna come again once more, although. We’ll give it a 160% subsequent time. Thanks all people right here. Unbelievable race. Thanks Group Penske, thanks Roger Penske for believing in me when nobody else did.”
Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward completed fourth, with Armstrong sliding to fifth after beginning the one-lap shootout within the lead.
Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Rinus VeeKay took sixth, forward of final yr’s Indy 500 winner Alex Palou. AJ Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci was eighth, with Dale Coyne Racing’s Romain Grosjean ninth. Two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato put his one-off Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda in tenth.
The Race
Pole-sitter Palou led the sector to the inexperienced flag, however it was Rossi who took the lead into Flip 1 as the 2 exchanged the highest spot over the subsequent a number of laps.
Rossi and Palou continued their backwards and forwards trade by the preliminary 17 laps.
The primary incident got here on Lap 18, with Arrow McLaren’s Ryan Hunter-Reay snapping free off Flip 2 and hit the skin wall. Katherine Legge tried to keep away from the 2014 Indy 500 champion, which resulted in her spinning and pounding the within all in her #51 HMD Motorsports with AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet.
When the pits opened up, it cut up the sector as Palou got here down for service and was the primary amongst these off pit highway. Nonetheless, he restarted seventeenth, whereas Rinus VeeKay (Juncos Hollinger Racing) elevated to the lead, forward of the #18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda of Romain Grosjean.
The restart on Lap 26 noticed Grosjean take the lead, with Collet following. Nonetheless, contact between Ed Carpenter and Sato led to the previous crashing in Flip 1. Carpenter, the one driver/proprietor of the collection, obtained out of his #33 ECR Chevrolet and pointed at Sato with phrases of clear displeasure.
VeeKay took the chance to pit on Lap 29, with the restart coming two laps later. Collet took the lead moments later, with Daly rising as much as the highest spot by Lap 34. Palou was as much as third.
Grosjean dove to pit lane on Lap 39. Palou returned to the highest spot on Lap 41 with a move by Daly.
Palou led at Lap 50, with a 0.2495s benefit over Daly.
After a cycle of pit stops, it was Palou over Rosenqvist on Lap 66. Dixon climbed to second, after which the lead, at Lap 69. Dixon and Palou swapped the lead with choreographed passes over the subsequent a number of laps.
Will Energy spun on Lap 92 earlier than coming over the radio to substantiate, “It blew up,” in reference to his #26 Andretti World Honda. As fluid littered the monitor and introduced out the yellow flag, Rossi got here to the pits as smoke bellowed from his #20 ECR Chevrolet.
Dixon led the sector to pit lane on Lap 97, adopted by Palou and Rosenqvist. Dixon received the race out of the pits, with Palou in second and Newgarden taking third. Rosenqvist dropped to seventh.
A pink flag got here out on Lap 105 as a consequence of stories of sunshine rain. Happily, it lasted solely 12 minutes earlier than the engines had been restarted.
Dixon led the sector to the inexperienced flag restart on Lap 110. A sluggish leap allowed Palou and Malukas to leap to the entrance. Dixon fell to fifth.
Conor Daly, in the meantime, vaulted as much as third with an out of doors move on Newgarden in Flip 3. Regardless of the short tempo being set, it was halted with a yellow flag as a consequence of monitor circumstances on Lap 116, with Malukas main Palou and Daly.
Malukas led the sector to the restart with 75 to go, however it shortly went again to warning after his teammate, two-time Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden, clipped the curbing in Flip 4 and spun round. Newgarden’s #2 Group Penske Chevrolet hit the wall with the left-front earlier than snapping with the left aspect tank-slapping the wall.
The pits had been opened on Lap 131, with some takers coming down – Rosenqvist, O’Ward, Santino Ferrucci, amongst them – with of venture to make it on another cease.
A wild restart ensued on Lap 132, with Malukas shedding the result in Daly as McLaughlin and Palou briefly took it four-wide into Flip 1. McLaughlin took the lead two laps later, with Palou grabbing it the next lap as Daly settled in third. The trio continued to rotate the lead over the subsequent few laps.
Malukas fought his manner again to the lead by Lap 147, skating by Palou into Flip 1. Each Malukas and McLaughlin pitted on the finish of the next lap, with the latter overtaking the previous after a faster cease. Palou and Daly got here in for service the subsequent lap.
The cut up technique noticed Rosenqvist vault to the lead, holding a 1.2s benefit over second-place O’Ward with 46 to go. O’Ward was unable to increase so long as Rosenqvist and pitted with 36 laps to go. Rosenqvist got here in from the lead with 34 to go. Nonetheless, O’Ward was in a position to leap forward of him on the exit.
Malukas cycled again to the lead with Palou and McLaughlin behind with 33 laps to go. O’Ward and Rosenqvist had been fourth and fifth, respectively.
With 25 laps to go, Malukas relinquished the lead and dove to pit lane for service. Palou and McLaughlin got here within the following lap, handing the result in O’Ward.
O’Ward then carved by backmarkers however was instructed to avoid wasting gasoline and opted to remain behind Graham Rahal.
O’Ward moved round Rahal with 18 to go, with Rosenqvist following by. Rosenqvist continued to stalk O’Ward because the laps ticked down.
Rosenqvist lastly made his transfer to the lead, crossing the Yard of Bricks with 15 laps to go.
With eight laps to go, nevertheless, the warning got here out after AJ Foyt Racing rookie Caio Collet crashed closely within the exit of Flip 2. All the proper aspect of his #4 Chevrolet was crushed and the contact whipped him again to the within wall. Happily, regardless of the onerous hit, he was in a position to climb out of the automotive.
Collet’s crash led to Race Management bringing out the pink flag.
After a 10-minute pink flag, the automobiles went again out on monitor and ready for the ultimate push.
Rosenqvist led the sector to the restart with 4 laps to go, with O’Ward in second, Armstrong third, Malukas fourth, Grosjean fifth, and Palou sixth.
Armstrong took it three-wide to take the lead into Flip 1, with Malukas following by to second. The yellow flag got here out moments later after rookie Mick Schumacher made temporary contact with the Flip 2 wall.
Race Management deemed a green-white flag restart, with Armstrong main Malukas and Rosenqvist.
Malukas took the lead as Armstrong and Rosenqvist battled side-by-side. Rosenqvist made it by Armstrong and made a late surge on Malukas to beat him on the line by a nostril.
1
60
200
7
2
12
200
0.023
7
3
3
200
0.397
7
4
5
200
0.007
7
5
66
200
0.009
7
6
76
200
0.640
7
7
10
200
0.019
7
8
14
200
0.481
7
9
18
200
0.498
9
10
75
200
0.378
7
11
N. Siegel Arrow McLaren
6
200
0.227
7
12
23
200
0.046
7
13
28
200
0.598
7
14
8
200
0.485
7
15
9
200
0.037
7
16
27
200
1.384
7
17
7
200
1.075
8
18
47
200
8.629
9
19
19
199
9
20
15
199
0.410
10
21
L. Foster Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
45
199
0.558
8
22
24
199
0.197
12
23
R. Robb Sting Juncos Hollinger Racing
77
199
0.283
10
24
J. Abel Abel Motorsports
51
198
11
25
06
194
8
Mechanical
26
4
191
6
Accident
27
C. Rasmussen Ed Carpenter Racing
21
144
7
Mechanical
28
2
124
4
Accident
29
26
91
2
Gearbox
30
20
91
3
Hearth
31
33
26
1
Accident
32
31
17
Accident
33
11
17
Accident
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