After two intense weeks of practice and a dramatic day of qualifying, the stage was finally set for the greatest spectacle in motorsport: the 2026 Indianapolis 500. From the roar of the engines to the electric atmosphere at the Brickyard, anticipation reached its peak as the world’s best drivers prepare to battle for racing immortality in the biggest race of the year.
Race order
After a dramatic day of qualifying and several post-qualifying penalties, the starting order for the Indianapolis 500 was officially set, shaping the grid for one of the biggest races of the year.
- Alex Palou
- Alexander Rossi
- David Malukas
- Felix Rosenqvist
- Santino Ferrucci
- Pato O’Ward
- Kyffin Simpson
- Conor Daly
- Scott Mclaughlin
- Scott Dixon
- Rinus VeeKay
- Takuma Sato
- Ed Carpenter
- Helio Castroneves
- Christian Rasmussen
- Marcus Armstrong
- Marcus Ericsson
- Christian Lundgaard
- Will Power
- Nolan Seigel
- Louis Foster
- Ryan Hunter-Reay
- Josef Newgarden
- Romain Grosjean
- Kyle Kirkwood
- Katherine Legge
- Mick Schumacher
- Graham Rahal
- Dennis Hauger
- Jacob Abel
- Sting Ray Robb
- Ciao collet
- Jack Harvey
This is how the formation lap looked before the green flag.
Row 1
- Alex Palou — Inside
- Alexander Rossi — Middle
- David Malukas — Outside
Row 2
- Felix Rosenqvist — Inside
- Santino Ferrucci — Middle
- Pato O’Ward — Outside
Row 3
- Kyffin Simpson — Inside
- Conor Daly — Middle
- Scott McLaughlin — Outside
Row 4
- Scott Dixon — Inside
- Rinus VeeKay — Middle
- Takuma Sato — Outside
Row 5
- Ed Carpenter — Inside
- Helio Castroneves — Middle
- Christian Rasmussen — Outside
Row 6
- Marcus Armstrong — Inside
- Marcus Ericsson — Middle
- Christian Lundgaard — Outside
Row 7
- Will Power — Inside
- Nolan Siegel — Middle
- Louis Foster — Outside
Row 8
- Ryan Hunter-Reay — Inside
- Josef Newgarden — Middle
- Romain Grosjean — Outside
Row 9
- Kyle Kirkwood — Inside
- Katherine Legge — Middle
- Mick Schumacher — Outside
Row 10
- Graham Rahal — Inside
- Dennis Hauger — Middle
- Jacob Abel — Outside
Row 11
- Sting Ray Robb — Inside
- Caio Collet — Middle
- Jack Harvey — Outside
Before the 500 even started, there were doubts surrounding Alexander Rossi after he crashed on Sunday and underwent minor surgery on his right hand and ankle. However, he was cleared to race, although he had to wear support on his ankle.
Spotter guide
Race
As the green flag waved into Turn one, Alexander Rossi immediately snatched the lead from Alex Palou, but Palou quickly fought back to reclaim first place. Santino Ferrucci also made an early move, taking third from David Malukas on the opening lap. Rossi retook the lead from Palou on Lap Two, only for Palou to answer back a lap later. The opening five laps became a thrilling cat-and-mouse battle between Palou and Rossi, setting the tone for a race-long fight at the front. Meanwhile, Josef Newgarden was one of the biggest movers in the opening stages, slicing through the field. On Lap seven, Felix Rosenqvist overtook Ferrucci for position.
Rossi grabbed the lead again on Lap 15, but the first major incident arrived on Lap 18 when Ryan Hunter-Reay spun but narrowly avoided hitting the wall. Katherine Legge attempted to avoid the spinning car, but while she missed Hunter-Reay, she ended up crashing into the wall herself. The caution flag flew, bringing most of the field into the pits for fuel, fresh tyres, or both.
Race Restart
The race restarted on Lap 27, with Rinus VeeKay briefly taking the lead before another caution quickly came out. Ed Carpenter crashed into the wall after getting caught in heavy traffic, with Takuma Sato making contact with Carpenter before the incident unfolded. When racing resumed on Lap 31, Caio Collet jumped ahead of Romain Grosjean for the lead. Soon after, Palou and Conor Daly both moved past Grosjean before Palou took the lead from Collet. On Lap 33, Newgarden passed Rosenqvist for ninth place. Daly then surged ahead on Lap 34, overtaking both Collet and Palou, although Collet responded a lap later to retake the lead.
Daly led by Lap 41 after Collet headed to the pits, but Palou soon moved back ahead of him. Behind them, Malukas made an aggressive pass on Scott McLaughlin. From Laps 42 to 62, the race settled into a calmer rhythm, with few major moves throughout the field. Pit stops began again around Lap 63 as drivers fought to cycle ahead of one another after fresh tyres and fuel. Scott Dixon took the lead from Palou on Lap 69, though Palou reclaimed it by Lap 71.
Lap 92: Caution for Will Power
Dixon again passed Palou for the lead on Lap 80, but Palou answered immediately on Lap 81. Another round of pit stops began on Lap 92, but the caution flag came out when Will Power spun with fluid pouring from his car. Drama then struck Rossi in pit lane as smoke poured from his car, forcing him to climb out as the team feared another fire similar to last year’s incident. Pit lane remained closed due to Power’s stranded car before reopening at the end of Lap 97.
At Lap 100, Dixon led the Indianapolis 500 as teams desperately pushed to complete Lap 101 to ensure an official result if the weather worsened. By Lap 103, there were conflicting reports about rain around the speedway, and by Lap 104, pit lane reporters confirmed light rain was beginning to fall. Cars eventually came down pit lane on Lap 106, leading to a red flag for what officials described as “a bit of rain.”
How long will this weather be for?
After a lengthy delay, the race returned under caution before going green again at the end of Lap 109 and the beginning of Lap 110. Conor Daly made moves on Scott McLaughlin, while Malukas continued charging forward. Daly then overtook Newgarden on Lap 111 as Palou once again reclaimed the lead. Another caution arrived on Lap 116 after rain appeared again in Turn 4. During this period, Malukas led much of the running since the restart. Romain Grosjean also received a penalty for passing under yellow, sending the No. 18 car to the back of the field.
The race resumed at the end of Lap 125, but chaos struck immediately. Before the green-flag action had fully settled, Josef Newgarden clipped the curb, spun backwards, and slammed into the wall, bringing out another caution. As a precaution, Newgarden walked to the ambulance before being transported to the medical center for checks. Several drivers used the caution to make what became one of their final pit stops.
Back to Green after Newgarden crash
Malukas led the field back to green on Lap 133, though Daly quickly overtook him before McLaughlin joined the fight. McLaughlin briefly took the lead before Daly fought back. By Lap 135, Daly, Palou, and McLaughlin went three-wide into Turn 1, with McLaughlin emerging ahead, Palou second, and Daly third. Daly passed Palou on Lap 137 for second and then grabbed the lead a lap later. The action intensified on Lap 139 when the leaders went three-wide once more. Palou stormed back into first, McLaughlin moved into second, and Daly dropped from first to fourth as Malukas surged past him.
Malukas reclaimed the lead on Lap 147 but pitted a lap later, handing the lead back to Palou. As the field cycled through the final round of pit stops, Kyffin Simpson inherited the lead on Lap 151. Simpson eventually pitted on Lap 163, allowing Rosenqvist to move into first. By Lap 167, Malukas was back in the lead, while Pato O’Ward overtook Rosenqvist in an attempt to position himself for victory. Dennis Hauger’s hopes ended after he received a drive-through penalty. Around Lap 174, Rosenqvist and O’Ward were locked together in the fight for the win. Rosenqvist nearly crashed on Lap 175 and continued struggling with steering wheel issues, repeatedly drifting dangerously close to the grass. Between Laps 176 and 184, Christian Rasmussen retired from the race with mechanical problems.
Could Rosenqvist win the race?
On Lap 185, Rosenqvist overtook O’Ward for the lead. Three laps later, Mick Schumacher unlapped himself from Rosenqvist. Then, with just eight laps remaining, disaster struck for Caio Collet, whose car caught fire before slamming into the wall. The caution quickly escalated into a red flag to set up a dramatic late-race shootout. Thankfully, Collet climbed from the car under his own power. Officials confirmed the fire was triggered after the initial wall impact.
The race resumed under yellow with seven laps to go before the final sprint to the finish. During the shootout, Marcus Armstrong briefly grabbed the lead before another caution flew after Helio Castroneves clipped the wall. That set up a one-lap showdown for the Indianapolis 500 victory. On the final lap, Malukas surged into the lead, while Meyer Shank Racing drivers battled fiercely behind him for position. In a breathtaking finish, Felix Rosenqvist edged Malukas by half a car length to win the Indianapolis 500.
Top Ten
- Felix Rosenqvist
- David Malukas
- Scott Mclaughlin
- Pato O’Ward
- Marcus Armstrong
- Rinus Veekay
- Alex Palou
- Santino Ferrucci
- Romain Grosjean
- Takuma Sato
IndyCar heads to Detroit on Sunday, 31st May 2026.
Feature Image Credit: usatoday.com
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