The idea that nobody remembers the one who came second is quite common. However, when it came to this year's Indianapolis 500, the fans are sure to remember runner-up David Malukas. 

Malukas, who took part in the 110th Indianapolis 500, often known as "Greatest Spectacle of Racing," with Team Penske, put his car in third place and looked strong throughout the race.

It looked like the Indy 500 gods were on his side. However, the Chicago native's good fortune didn't last. With four laps remaining, Mick Schumacher clipped the wall, which led to Indy throwing out a red flag. This set the stage for the one-lap shootout.

Just as Felix Rosenquist came around to turn four, he made his move on the No. 12 car and overtook it. This led to the sport's closest finish, which is 0.023s. After the race, Malukas seemed devastated as he spoke to the media.

During his interview he said, “Perfect position, quite great again. We had that opportunity right there. I really thought we could hold it, but I just don't know what else we could have done. I really thought we could hold it, and I don't know what else we could have done.”

Despite the heartbreak, Malukas wasn't a sore loser. He took the time to praise Rosenquist and congratulate the latter on his incredible win.

“Maybe something different with deployment racing, but I don't know. I don't know, in the car it looked a lot closer. I mean, looking at the replay there. Felix had such an incredible run. So I don't know, I don't think there was anything else we could have done," he added further. 

This marked the second near-miss finish at the Brickyard. During last year's race, while he drove for AJ Foyt Racing, Malukas crossed the finish line in third place. He was, however, moved to second after Marcus Ericsson was penalized post-race. 

The No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet driver currently stands in second place behind Alex Palou with a 37-point deficit despite his penalty after the Indy 500 race. 

Alex Palou penalized after Indy 500 race

Another big news to come out of the Indianapolis 500 is that the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing car was penalized after a failed inspection post-race. 

According to the reports, Palou’s car failed to meet the minimum front wing height of 8.3 inches off the ground per Rule 14.7.6.7.1 in IndyCar's rulebook. This has led to the team being docked 5 points and a fine of  $10,000. 

However, the No. 10 car was not disqualified the way Callum Ilott's car had been last year after it also failed the post-race inspection. 

Palou, the defending IndyCar champion, will retain his seventh-place Indy 500 finish. The Spaniard had started the race on pole and led a race high of 59 out of the 200-lap race. 

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Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit