Shank confident Rosenqvist has become one of Palou's greatest threats

Victorious Indy 500 team co-owner Michael Shank believes Felix Rosenqvist is one of the drivers who can prove a thorn in the side of four-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou.

In the wake of Rosenqvist’s epic victory in the 110th running of the Indy 500 for Meyer Shank Racing, in which he passed David Malukas in the sprint from Turn 4 to the yard of bricks on the last lap, Shank declared: “If you look back on the last month, [Felix] has been one of the guys that are harassing Alex a lot – and we're always trying to figure out how we are going to beat Alex because he's simply the best right now.

“And I think Felix showed it Long Beach [pole and second-place], he showed it in qualifying here at the Grand Prix [third-place start but incident at Turn 1]. And then you saw it at quali here [4th] and also the race today. He's the man for the job. And we're super proud that he got the opportunity. This will change his life and our life, so we're grateful.”

Shank later added: “This is all we needed. I told these guys literally last night I felt like this group is pushing the door open and it's getting ready to snap, we just need one thing. And I hope this is it.

“He deserves it. He's had some tough luck in the past in situations like this. And he closed it today, and I couldn't be more happy.”

Jim Meyer, team co-owner, gave props to Adam Rovazzini [MSR’s competition director who also serves as Rosenqvist’s strategist], to Chip Ganassi Racing with whom MSR has a technical partnership, and to Honda.

“Then finally Felix,” Meyer added. “Just what a great job. It couldn't happen to a nicer guy. I think all of you know Felix and his wife had a new little baby girl about 13 days ago. What a great way to celebrate little baby Stella.”

Shank, as a former racing driver, understood the magnitude of Rosenqvist’s bravery on the final lap.

“Just think about that, hanging on the outside here on last turn of the last lap of the Indianapolis 500, right?” he exclaimed. “It just blows me [away]. He was pushing every button on that steering wheel to get every bit of Honda power out of that thing, all the hybrid. Everything we had was on the track.

“But he was still thinking the whole time. It wasn't just like ‘I'm hanging on to the outside and we'll see what happens.’ He knew where he was. He knew he had a good run on the No. 12 car [Malukas’s], and it worked. And he deserves this win. He really does.”

Shank also had consoling words for Rosenqvist’s full-tme teammate Marcus Armstrong, who had been leading before the final caution for Mick Schumacher’s wall-brush but couldn’t stave off Malukas on the final restart and, despite a brave effort to stay on par with Rosenqvist, ultimately slipped to fifth at the checkers.

“I can't say how much pride I have in where Marcus is here at this Speedway," said Shank, “because he started out with not a lot of time. It's his third year, but he's had different things happen to him that didn't go well here.

“So for him come out today and drive the race he drove is just incredible. And if you think about how clean he and Felix raced each other, I wouldn't have given up the bottom [lane] for nothing. And he didn't. Felix did it the hard way, which is really impressive.

“Marcus will be a great story and a good person to talk to. Because he's pretty torn up right now, and we haven't talked to him. And I get that, and I want that. I want him to want this race. He was this close to winning it. He could have won it easily. So really proud of that.”