The Greatest Spectacle in Racing is also the greatest payday when it comes to the prize purse of winning a single race. Last year, the prize purse was about $20 million, and it skyrocketed further this year. 

The massive prize pool, generated by ticket sales, television rights, and sponsorship deals, exceeded $30 million for the 110th running of the Indy 500. 

The winner, Felix Rosenqvist, the third Swedish driver to win the prestigious IndyCar race, walked away with a record payout of approximately $4.34 million. This broke the previous record of $4.288 million that Josef Newgarden earned for his second Indy 500 win in 2024.

Moreover, Rosenqvist's payout was significantly more than the 2025 winner, Alex Palou’s $3.8 million. IndyCar and IMS president J. Douglas Boles spoke about the history being created, saying:

"The Indianapolis 500 continues to make history, in more ways than one. The month of May featured back-to-back grandstand sellout crowds, our largest crowd since the 100th running in 2016 - and intense on-track action with the most lead changes ever in the Indy 500. Felix Rosenqvist added his name to the history books in stellar fashion, with the closest finish in Indy 500 history and now the largest purse. There’s no better end to a memorable month."

While the winner gets the largest portion of the prize pool, the prize money isn't just distributed by finishing positions, even though each driver is assured a six-figure payout.

Full-time IndyCar drivers get paid significantly more than one-off entries, while special bonuses apply for laps led and qualifying positions, with pole positions being a significant pay boost. There is also a $50,000 bonus for Rookie of the Year.

Which Drivers Won Big At The 2026 Indy 500?

Even drivers who crashed out early in the race received a sizable figure. Jeff Gluck reported that the average payout for the drivers was $936,000. Katherine Legge, who crashed while trying to avoid a spinning Ryan Hunter-Reay on lap 18, ended as the least paid with $102,000.

Mick Schumacher, who was named Rookie of the Year, got a $50,000 bonus, which made his winnings 218,800 after finishing 18th. Takuma Sato, who has competed against both Michael Schumacher and his son Mick in his storied career, finished 10th and was the highest finisher not to earn a million; his payout was $137,000.

A total of 22 drivers won over a million. Alexander Rossi, who started on the front row, was driving with a foot injury, having recovered from a massive crash during practice on Monday. He couldn’t finish the race but walked away with $1,141,00, while pole-sitter Alex Palou finished in seventh, winning 1,399,000

Davis Malukas, who missed the win by a mere 0.0233 seconds, walked away with $1,682,500. For third-placed Scott McLaughlin, it was a $1,414,500 payout. While Pato O’Ward, who is still searching for that elusive Indy 500 win, $1,279,000 was the prize.

Here's the full payout for all drivers:

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Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Yask Kotak