In a stunning display of precision and nerve, Christian Lundgaard pulled off a breathtaking outside pass on David Malukas with just 18 laps remaining to claim victory at the Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. The 24-year-old Dane’s bold move in Turn 4 sealed his second career IndyCar win and his first since joining Arrow McLaren, crossing the finish line 4.6713 seconds ahead of the field on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn circuit.
For Lundgaard, the win was especially poetic—it came on the same track where he made his IndyCar Series debut back in 2021. It also marked the 28th victory in IndyCar history for McLaren and the 10th since the team returned to full-time competition in 2020. “It feels incredible,” Lundgaard said afterward, visibly elated. “This team has believed in me from day one, and to deliver this here is special.”
Malukas, meanwhile, earned a career-best second-place finish in his strongest showing since joining Team Penske. Graham Rahal, driving for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, rounded out the podium in third. Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden finished fourth, just ahead of pole-sitter Alex Palou in the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. The top 10 also featured Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing), Louis Foster (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing), rookie Dennis Hauger (Dale Coyne Racing), Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti Global), and Nolan Siegel (Arrow McLaren).
The race, however, wasn’t without its early chaos. Palou, starting on the harder primary tire compound, led the field to the green flag, but a slow start triggered contact in the back, leaving Rinus VeeKay with wing damage. Then came the real fireworks: in Turn 1, multiple cars collided, including second-place starter Pato O’Ward, who was clipped by Felix Rosenqvist. Rookie Caio Collet and six-time series champion Scott Dixon were also caught up in the melee, sustaining significant damage.
After the dust settled, the new running order was Palou, Malukas, Rahal, Kirkwood, and Romain Grosjean. Rosenqvist and VeeKay, who had limped to a closed pit lane for service, were hit with penalties and forced to restart at the back of the field. Race Control also deemed Rosenqvist at fault for the opening corner crash, handing him a drive-thru penalty. The pits finally opened on Lap 4 of 85, with Collet, Dixon, O’Ward, and Rosenqvist among those pitting for service. The restart on Lap 5 saw Palou leading a calmer run into Turn 1 as the field settled in behind.
From there, Lundgaard’s patience and timing set the stage for his unforgettable move—a pass that will be replayed for years to come, and one that firmly announces him as a driver to watch in the 2025 season.