Christian Lundgaard passed David Malukas late to win the 2026 Grand Prix of Indianapolis, ending a 47-race IndyCar victory drought.
Lundgaard ends a three-year wait
Christian Lundgaard made a forceful late pass, then controlled the closing stint to win the 2026 Grand Prix of Indianapolis for Arrow McLaren on Saturday, May 9.
The Danish driver won by 4.6713 seconds in his No. 7 Chevrolet, beating Team Penske’s David Malukas after 85 laps around the 14-turn, 2.439-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Graham Rahal finished third for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 7.9142 seconds behind Lundgaard.
It was Lundgaard’s second IndyCar victory. His previous win came at Toronto on July 16, 2023, and the Indianapolis result ended a 47-race drought while delivering his first victory since he joined Arrow McLaren.
Lundgaard had often shown speed at the circuit without earning the result to match. He also became the third driver to win an IndyCar race for McLaren, following Johnny Rutherford and Pato O’Ward.
“This was a long wait for this win, especially around this place. You know how fast I’ve always been around here, and it’s just been time after time after time disappointments. Now we’re here.”
A decisive pass settles the race
Lundgaard started fourth in a race shaped by incidents, caution timing and tough calls on the pit wall. The decisive battle developed between Lundgaard and Malukas after their different final-stop timing set up a direct fight.
Lundgaard stopped for the final time on Lap 65, one lap before Malukas. His tires were already up to temperature when the Penske driver rejoined, and Lundgaard attacked on Lap 68.
They went side by side through Turns 3 and 4. Lundgaard stayed committed, took a narrow opening into the Turns 5 and 6 chicane and completed the race-winning pass. Malukas backed out. Lundgaard quickly opened a gap.
Malukas led a race-high 27 laps, four more than Lundgaard, before his car lost pace in the final stint. He said a wing-adjustment decision may have played a part in those late difficulties. Lundgaard capitalized and pulled away across the remaining laps for a commanding win.
Arrow McLaren’s stop put Lundgaard within striking distance, but he still had to commit in a fast and narrow section of the circuit. Once in front, he denied Malukas a realistic opportunity to respond.
Malukas denied as Rahal completes podium
Malukas matched his best IndyCar finish with second place and recorded his strongest result since joining Team Penske. It was the third runner-up result of his career, with his first series victory still out of reach.
Missing out after leading late was a disappointment, but Malukas had run at the center of the contest throughout. He spent 27 laps in front before the car’s final setup balance left him unable to hold off Lundgaard.
Rahal finished third in the No. 15 Honda, matching his best result of the season. He closed on Malukas late but ran out of laps before he could fight for second, adding another podium to his strong record on the Indianapolis road course.
Josef Newgarden placed fourth in the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet, giving Penske two cars among the first four. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou recovered from a badly timed full-course caution to finish fifth after starting on pole.
- First: Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
- Second: David Malukas, Team Penske Chevrolet, 4.6713 seconds behind
- Third: Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda, 7.9142 seconds behind
- Fourth: Josef Newgarden, Team Penske Chevrolet
- Fifth: Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Incidents reshape the running order
Palou topped every session he entered before the race and started from pole, but the order was disrupted almost immediately. Several cars made contact at Turn 1, including front-row starter O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist, Scott Dixon and rookie Caio Collet. Officials judged Rosenqvist responsible and issued a drive-through penalty.
A later caution caused by Alexander Rossi’s loss of hybrid power altered the strategic picture. Palou and Kyle Kirkwood couldn’t pit before the field was gathered, sending both toward the back and bringing alternative strategies into play.
Palou recovered to fifth, while Dixon climbed back to sixth despite his role in the opening-lap incident. Louis Foster took seventh. Dale Coyne Racing rookie Dennis Hauger led the rookie group in a career-best eighth, Kirkwood recovered to ninth, and Lundgaard’s Arrow McLaren teammate Nolan Siegel rounded out the top 10.
Mick Schumacher was closing on a possible career-best 11th-place finish before contact with Santino Ferrucci earned him a drive-through penalty. He was classified 20th.
Victory strengthens Lundgaard’s championship position
Lundgaard climbed from fifth to fourth in the IndyCar standings with the victory and cut 20 points from his deficit to championship leader Palou. The Arrow McLaren driver made a major gain in the sixth round of the 18-race season.
Palou still stretched his lead over Kirkwood to 27 points, as Kirkwood’s ninth-place result restricted his chance to take advantage of the leader’s disrupted race. O’Ward fell from fourth to seventh in the standings after a difficult afternoon.
The result gives Arrow McLaren momentum at the start of May in Indianapolis. IndyCar now turns to the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500, moving from the road course to the Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval.
