Winning move 'almost like muscle memory' - Rosenqvist

Felix Rosenqvist says his winning move over David Malukas to capture the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 was something he had dreamed of.

Although Rosenqvist went into Turn 4 for the final time in a disputed second with his Meyer Shank Racing-Honda teammate Marcus Armstrong, he was close enough to the Team Penske-Chevrolet of leader David Malukas to pick up a tow and draft past him.

The MSR-Honda crossed the yard of bricks just 0.0233s in front, creating the closest finish in Indy 500 history.

“That's the way I've always pictured it in my head for some reason,” said the 34-year-old Swede. “It was almost like muscle memory when it happened because I've been dreaming about that last lap move. It's kind of weird, you never really get that last lap move in the Indy 500, and it just played out perfectly.

“We raced super hard. There was some wheel banging and some tire marks on the side pods, which is cool, but no one ended in the wall. I think that's why it turned out to be such a great finish and such a show for the fans.”

Trying to recall his decision to go side-by-side on the outside with Armstrong throughout the final lap, Rosenqvist admitted, “Honestly, it's still kind of a blur. I had that momentum going, and I was kind of like, ‘I'm going to go on the high line, and I'm not going to ruin this momentum. If someone comes in the way, that's it.’ But no one did, and I was able to stay on the high lane through the whole thing, and I was getting a side draft at the same time from the other guys.”

He later expanded on his decision not to ease off. “I think it was '22 when I finished fourth. Pato got low and I basically had to brake on the final lap, and that was it. Like, the run is gone. You're never going to recover. I was like, whatever happens here, I've just got to keep my run, even if it's on the third lane. We've just got to do it.

“That's kind of the only option you have. You don't really have an option to go low because there wasn't any room, and it was just stacked down there, and I was just kind of – I was going wheel to wheel with I think Marcus for the whole back straight, so there wasn't a door open to go in. And I was like, yep, this is going to be it. Like, I'll stay flat and see what happens.

“It worked out perfectly that David was the perfect distance ahead to give me a little tow because, if he was closer, I probably would have just sat on his gearbox over the finish line.

“If you replay it a million times, it probably wouldn't happen that way. But I was very determined today. I've been in that position, top four, towards the end many times here, and I had the car to do it.

“This year we talked a lot, what does it take to really do it? I felt I had more confidence today. I think that was the difference, and the hunger to do it. I think that's what it takes here to win it. You need to be ready to risk it all on the last lap. If it ended in the fence, I think I would have been proud for my run. That's the way you have to approach it.”