Power Rankings: Felix Rosenqvist, David Malukas Climb After Epic '500'

Editor’s Note: Power Rankings is a feature published after every NTT INDYCAR SERIES race in which INDYCAR.com staff writer Eric Smith ranks the top 10 drivers in the series based on recent and season-long performance statistics, along with the “eye test” from race weekends.

Alex Palou led a race-high 59 of 200 laps in the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge from the NTT P1 Award. He finished seventh. Palou, the four-time series champion, including three straight, retains the top spot in the Power Rankings.

David Malukas finished second in both races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this month -- the Sonsio Grand Prix on May 9 on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course and last Sunday’s “500” on the 2.5-mile oval, allowing a climb of one spot to second in Power Rankings. He becomes the fifth driver to hold the No. 2 spot in the rankings this season, marking his personal-best position in Power Rankings.

Here are the top 10 drivers entering Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Presented by Lear (12:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).

↓10. Graham Rahal (No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Honda, Last Rank: 5)

Rahal slipped to the edge of the rankings after a 20th-place finish in the Indy 500. He narrowly holds the final spot over Josef Newgarden thanks to two podium finishes in the previous three races. Aside from Newgarden’s victory March 7 at Phoenix Raceway, a race in which he admitted he did not have the fastest car, Rahal has finished ahead of Newgarden in four consecutive events while holding a better average finish (8.5 to 14.0). This is the fourth consecutive race Rahal has been ranked.

↓9. Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, Last Rank: 6)

Dixon led 32 laps in the Indy 500 but faded late and finished 15th, his worst result this year since placing 23rd in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The finish snapped a five-race top-10 streak. The six-time series champion enters Detroit ninth in points, 106 behind his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Palou. Dixon has appeared in 38 of the last 39 Power Rankings dating to the start of the 2024 season.

↑8. Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet, Last Rank: NR)

McLaughlin charged from 10th on the Lap 196 restart to third before the final-lap restart and kept that spot in a photo finish with Marcus Armstrong and Pato O’Ward. It marked his second top-six finish in the last three races, joining a sixth-place finish April 19 in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. He re-enters the Power Rankings after falling out following a 16th-place finish in the Sonsio Grand Prix. McLaughlin enters Detroit sixth in points, 92 back of Palou.

↑7. Marcus Armstrong (No. 66 Acura Honda, Last Rank: 10)

Armstrong continued his rise with a fifth-place finish in the “500.” He led on the final restart before David Malukas surged past on the one-lap sprint for the checkered. The Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian driver finished 11th in the Sonsio Grand Prix to open May and owns six top-11 finishes in seven starts this season.

↓6. Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda, Last Rank: 4)

Kirkwood drops again after a season-worst 16th-place finish in the Indy 500. That followed what had been his previous low mark of ninth in the Sonsio Grand Prix. Despite the recent slide, Kirkwood remains third in points (-49) entering Detroit. He also has not led a lap since his March 15 victory in the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington, where he paced the final 16 laps.

↓5. Christian Lundgaard (No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Last Rank: 2)

Lundgaard climbed to second in the rankings after winning the Sonsio Grand Prix but fell to fifth following a 17th-place finish in the “500.” He started 18th and spent most of the race outside contention. Still, Lundgaard enters Detroit fourth in points (-78) with four top-seven finishes this season. He has appeared in the rankings after every race this season except Phoenix.

↑4. Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 SiriusXM Honda, Last Rank: 9)

An Indianapolis 500 victory vaults Rosenqvist five spots in the rankings and marks the third consecutive race he has appeared in the top 10. He was fourth in last year’s “500” and backed it up with the biggest win of his career Sunday. The Swede was fastest in the opening round of Indy 500 qualifying and again in the Top 12 session before starting fourth. He edged David Malukas by .0233 of a second in the closest finish in “500” history. Rosenqvist also owns two runner-up finishes in the last three races, including April 19 at Long Beach, where he started from pole. His month was not flawless, however, as he triggered the opening-lap chain-reaction crash in the Sonsio Grand Prix that left him 23rd. He enters Detroit seventh in points, 97 back.

↑3. Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Last Rank: 8)

O’Ward showed race-winning pace throughout May. An opening-lap incident in the Sonsio Grand Prix after contact from Rosenqvist dropped him to 18th, and a practice crash May 18 forced him into a backup car for the “500.” None of it slowed him much. O’Ward finished fourth Sunday, his sixth top-six finish in seven Indianapolis 500 starts. He enters Detroit fifth in points (-85). This is the 25th consecutive race he has appeared in the rankings dating to Portland International Raceway in 2024.

↑2. David Malukas (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, Last Rank: 3)

Malukas came within a few feet of his first INDYCAR SERIES victory before losing the closest Indianapolis 500 finish in history. The heartbreak was immense, but so was the performance. He started third, led late and nearly delivered one of the breakthrough drives of the season. Combined with his runner-up finish in the Sonsio Grand Prix, Malukas has six consecutive top-seven finishes and enters Detroit second in points, 37 behind Palou. He also has been among the series’ strongest qualifiers, starting inside the top 10 in all seven races and inside the top five in six of them.

↔1. Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, Last Rank: 1)

Palou still holds the top spot after another strong month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He led 82 combined laps across the Sonsio Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500 before finishing fifth and seventh, respectively. The Spaniard has six top-seven finishes in seven starts this season and continues to lead the championship entering Detroit.