Seven Crushing Defeats Helped Build Felix Rosenqvist for One Historic Indy 500 Victory
Felix Rosenqvist finally got to enjoy the view from Indy’s most exclusive spot: Victory Lane. By winning this year’s Indianapolis 500 in the most dramatic fashion—building what looked like an insurmountable late lead, losing it after a red flag, then getting a second chance from another caution before aggressively snatching it back to win by the slimmest margin ever—the Swedish speedster accomplished what hundreds of drivers have failed to do over the race’s 110 runnings. At the same time, one bold move instantly wiped away seven previous years of his own Indy race-day heartbreak. Obviously, it takes speed to win the world’s most prestigious race—and Rosenqvist’s winning average of 174.199 mph ranks as the sixth-fastest Indy 500 in history. But to cross the finish line first in 2026, the 34-year-old first had to slow down and absorb the lessons learned from past missed opportunities. That experience—both good and catastrophic—proved to be an invaluable asset when improbable moments...