Inside The Indy 500’s Dramatic, Terrifying And Impressive Side-By-Side Last Lap

In Driver’s Eye with James Hinchcliffe, the six-time INDYCAR winner will bring you inside the mind of a racer while breaking down the nuts and bolts of the sport for fans.

Wow. Wow, wow, wow, wow. 

I am not sure what you were expecting from this years Indianapolis 500, but I have to be honest: A record-breaking, hair-raising, crowd-screaming drag race to the finish was far more than I thought we had in store!

As always, the Indy 500 was not short of storylines. From weather being a constant threat all day long, to multiple red flags, to a split fuel strategy and a one-lap shootout for all the glory, the 110th Running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing had all the dramatic bases covered.

But I want to focus on something very specific. I want to talk about the last lap. 

I want to talk about how tough, dangerous and terrifying it is to run on the outside of all four corners of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, inches away from another car doing 220 miles per hour… with the added complication of your teammate being in that other car.

Enter Felix Rosenqvist and Marcus Armstrong. 

Lets start with racing side-by-side for a whole lap. Its not uncommon on a restart, when you are still getting up to speed, to see a car hang it out through Turns 1 and 2. Then, when you get down to Turn 3, there can be a big line checking up on the low lane, and maybe you can still hold it out there.

But when both cars are in pretty clean air — the leader had a solid gap on them at this point — trying to stick it to the guy on the inside is mind-boggling. Indy is a one-groove track once youre up to speed, but I guess no one told Felix! 

There is a reason that every driver whos raced around the 2.5-mile speedway was applauding that last-lap move. We all know how unbelievably tough it is to do.

Not only did Rosenqvist have to trust his car and his abilities, but he also had to trust the guy he was racing.

The golden rule in motorsports is dont hit your teammate. When you and your teammate are both in with a shout to win the biggest race on Earth, it gets complicated. 

Rosenqvist and Armstrong know the rule. But they also know an Indy 500 victory being within your grasp doesn’t come around every day, and you have to give it everything. The respect that both guys showed for one another was truly spectacular to see. 

Instantaneous, heart-pounding, future-determining decisions were made several times a second at 200-plus miles an hour.

For as impressive as Felixs last lap was, you have to give Armstrong a tremendous amount of credit for how he raced those last 2.5 miles. 

But the racing gods were in Felixs corner. Indy, they say, chooses the winner. Felix was the chosen one. 

There was nothing Marcus couldve done differently to come out on top. And ensuring he didnt wreck his teammate guaranteed he wouldn’t have to answer any tough questions from the bosses when he got back to the pits.

[WHO IS? Indy 500 Winner Felix Rosenqvist On Fatherhood, Being Too Nice]

How about David Malukas? When he took the lead in the first turn of that final lap, he wouldve checked his mirror