Felix Rosenqvist took the checkered flag 0.0233 seconds ahead of David Malukas. The Meyer Shank Racing driver gave the team their second career win. Their first also came at the highly regarded Indy 500. The 110th winner told ESPN after the incredible last second overtake:
“I just stayed flat on the outside and, you know, I’ve never done that before.”
The win came during an exhilarating event where we saw 70 changes for the lead, the most in the history of the Indy 500. With seven starts at the speedway prior to this year’s race, the Swede has come close to the crown twice. The two fourth place finishes in recent years showed he had clear pace around the track. A daring strategy and a daring line out of the final corner meant the victory was his. His last lap execution was one of the most impressive performances this month.
A Promising Qualifying Set the Stage
After showing strong pace throughout practice, it was no surprise that Rosenqvist came out of the blocks with daring speed. The 34-year-old held the best average speed in full field qualifying and was safely through after going 11th in the order. He then went on to show brilliant speed again in the top 12, skyrocketing to P1. Both averages were above 232mph in disadvantaged conditions to those who went before him.
It was the fast six where Rosenqvist failed to dominate. From his benchmark 232.599 mph in the full field, he fell to a 231.375 average, a marginal drop off. Despite the disappointing drop, his average speed was strong enough to slot him into P4. .
Between recording the fastest lap on Fast Friday and averages consistently in the 232s, it was clear he was going to be a driver to look out for come race day.
From Fifth to Second
A difficult start coming out of turn four looked to be the premises of the Swede’s race. Dropping behind Santino Ferrucci, he immediately had to go defensive with fast coming cars trying to drop him further down the order on the opening lap. An aggressive move on Malukas, saw Rosenqvist push in the opening laps to make up ground he lost and hope to break into the top three. A feat he managed. A beautiful pass on Ferrucci saw him in early contention with Álex Palou and Alexander Rossi.
An early caution following the accident involving Katherine Legge and Ryan Hunter-Reay, meant it was a busy pitlane. Several front running drivers poured in, and Rosenqvist was a winner of the pit stop sequence putting him behind net leader, Palou. The restart saw the Swede slingshot past Palou and Jack Harvey before another caution was thrown for Ed Carpenter.
A Loser on Pit Road
The MSR driver had a disappointing restart dropping to P9. Fortunately, pitstops by cars in front bumped him up to P2, behind Palou. The two pit a lap later, a win for Rosenqvist as he jumped four cars in doing so keeping the P2. A caution on lap 97, due to Will Power and then the threat of rain, brought majority of the field in. The busy pit lane meant the Swede lost out, dropping down to seventh.
A Bold but Winning Strategy in the Midst of Cautions and Red Flags
The pivotal race disruption, however, came following multiple cautions and a red flag for the rain. When it finally went green, Josef Newgarden brought out another caution creating a massive twist in strategy. Taking a huge gamble, The MSR crew brought the No. 60 in. Alongside Pato O’ward, the plan seemed to be to get him through on one more stop, whereas others would need two. The strategy served as a way to keep him in the fight for the win and proved to be the crucial choice in fuel strategy. The lead group of the likes of Palou and Malukas caught up to traffic after pitting, an obstacle very helpful for Rosenqvist.
Pitting a vital two laps later than O’ward, the Swede was able to pass him with less to save. The lead however dwindled away when rookie Caio Collet lost it in the final seven laps. The caution and red flag erased Rosenqvist’s lead of 16 seconds to the nearest primary strategy rival, Malukas. A brief green period with five to go saw the Penske jump the MSR, as his teammate Marcus Armstrong. With the number 60 now down in third, it seemed the win was slipping away, but it was not over.
Another caution right after meant the race would go down to the absolute wire in what would be a photo finish. It returned green with one lap to go. Malukas overtook Armstrong to take the lead at the final restart. As he led, Rosenqvist committed a daring move round the outside of his teammate. His decisive choice to keep his foot to the floor on the high side proved detrimental as he side-drafted by car No. 12 to beat him just over the line in what was the closest finish to win this race.
A Turnaround So Spectacular
The strategic gamble, and impeccable driving of Rosenqvist brought the victory home to Meyer Shank Racing. A win which saw the No. 60 as the third Swedish driver to be an Indy 500 champion.
The stellar drive at the 110th running, leaves a difficult Sonsio Grand Prix in the rear-view mirror. A race which saw Rosenqvist lock up into turn one causing a four-car pile-up, tumble down the order, and later get taken out himself. The turnaround at the speedway with his incredible last lap overtakes showed the world once again Rosenqvist’s winning nature.
From becoming a first-time dad to a Sonsio Grand Prix to forget to finally cementing his place in INDYCAR history, Felix Rosenqvist has truly experienced the highs and lows that come in the Month of May.