Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Speedway, Ind.) — David Malukas sat motionless in his No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet in his pit box for a moment. Dejected, he took his time before climbing out, leaning against his car with one hand and burying his helmet-covered face in the other.
He was frozen, heartbroken and seemingly in disbelief after being on the losing end of the closest Indianapolis 500 finish in the 110th running of the race Sunday.
He was devastated with tears in his eyes.
“Every strategy, everything — we did everything correct with this team,” 24-year-old Malukas told us and other reporters on pit road. “This just comes down to the IMS gods not picking us — yet. But it’s coming.”
Despite Malukas taking the lead going into Turn 1 on a one-lap shootout for the crown, Felix Rosenqvist won the drag race down the frontstraight to the Yard of Bricks finish line, winning by .0233 seconds.
Few could believe the finish, Malukas included.
“Lot of anger, lot of pain. I feel like I’m mourning and just a lot of shock,” Malukas continued, choking up and fighting through tears. “I just — I still can’t believe it. Just to be that close to winning the damn thing. I just can’t believe it.”
It’s the second straight year Malukas earned a second-place Indy 500 finish. Last year, with A.J. Foyt Enterprises, he got bumped up from third after Marcus Ericsson’s second-place finish was disallowed after his car failed the post-race inspection.
When Malukas finally stood up, his pit crew was ready with hugs and words of encouragement. But those are hard to embrace after being oh-so-close to his first INDYCAR win in the biggest race in the world.
He couldn’t believe he squandered “perfect position” off the final restart. He had the checkered flag within his grasp until the final few feet of the 200-lap race on the iconic 2.5-mile track.
“We had that opportunity right there,” Malukas said. “I really thought we could hold it, and I don’t know what else we could have done. Maybe something different with deployment racing, but I don’t know. …
“Felix had such an incredible run. So I don’t know, I don’t think there was anything else we could have done.”
Felix Rosenqvist barely edges out David Malukas to win the 2026 Indy 500. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
While barely missing out on an Indy 500 crown is brutal, Malukas’ teammate, Scott McLaughlin, had an entirely different attitude after finishing third.
In last year’s Indy 500, McLaughlin infamously crashed on the pace laps before the race even began, later calling it the “worst day of [his] life.”
“It’s zero to third,” McLaughlin told us and other reporters on pit road. “It’s great, but I want to win.”
The No. 3 Team Penske driver said he was “happy” with his third-place finish, particularly because he said his group didn’t have “a fast enough car.” But he acknowledged that, in addition to a little luck, Indy 500-winning teams successfully assemble all the puzzle pieces, he and his team weren’t quite there.
While congratulating Rosenqvist, McLaughlin empathized with Malukas’ post-race heartbreak.
“You’re young, pal. You’re gonna be around for a long time,” McLaughlin said when asked what he’d say to Malukas. “And if he drives like that, he’s gonna be just fine.
“Hopefully, he gets one, I get one, and I have no doubt our cars are fast enough. It’s just about putting ourselves in position. It’s gonna hurt for him for a bit, but he’ll be proud that he was leading the Indy 500 with a lap to go.”
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