Malukas: ‘We Were Pushing 150 Percent’ After Indy 500 Heartbreak

David Malukas had his first Indy 500 win in his grasp before he finished second. Felix Rosenqvist passed him on the run to the line in the closest finish in the event’s history.

The American was very fast throughout the month of May on his first Indy 500 start for Team Penske, but his near-perfect effort wasn’t enough.

Malukas was driving right on the limit of the No. 12 car and was deeply emotional after missing out on his first IndyCar win.

Malukas: “I just don’t know what else we could have done”

The 110th Running of the Indy 500 ended in a one-lap shootout after a late-race caution.

Malukas took the lead from Rosenqvist’s Meyer Shank teammate Marcus Armstrong just after the green flag fell.

This put him in a prime position to take his first Indy 500 win, but Rosenqvist stormed past Armstrong and the 24-year-old to snatch it.

Malukas explained that there wasn’t a lot more he could have done to stay at the front of the field.

He said: “Just disappointment. I just don’t know what else we could have done. We were driving 150 percent that whole race.

“The guys did a fantastic job getting the car where it needed to be. We had the fastest car out there that whole race. It was ours to win, and I knew that.

“I’ve never pushed that hard in my whole life. Just to finish, like — I can’t believe it.”

Despite the agonising defeat at The Brickyard, Malukas is now second in the standings. The 24-year-old is now a firm title contender, 32 points behind pacesetter Alex Palou.

Malukas is incredibly talented but has yet to win a race in IndyCar since his debut in 2022.

The American has had bumps in the road, such as getting dropped by Arrow McLaren two years ago due to injury, before he debuted for the team.

Malukas added that he is tired of finishing second after so many near-misses.

“This whole season, even before, just keep getting a lot of seconds, but we just can’t get — now it’s like — I don’t know how much closer you can get to getting it. Now we’re even P2 in the championship. It’s great, so many seconds.”

Malukas: “Nobody is like Team Penske”

Malukas has scored six podiums in IndyCar, with the first coming at Gateway in his debut year.

Since then, he has occasionally been in and around the top five but now has the chance to win races with one of the biggest teams on the grid.

Team Penske have been lagging behind Chip Ganassi Racing in recent years, with Palou’s dominance.

Despite the recent barren spell, they have won multiple titles with drivers like Josef Newgarden and Will Power.

Malukas explained that Team Penske is a unique team with special qualities.

He said: “I’ve been through many different teams, although I’m still young, 2024, from the wrist injury, been to so many different teams, and nobody is like Team Penske. Everybody here is just so closely connected and truly feels like family.

“Obviously, coming from all of that, Roger (Penske, team owner) was one of the first guys to come to me and tell me that he believes in me and told me to keep on pushing.”