When the velvet material dropped inside Will Behrends’ studio, revealing a finely crafted clay head, Felix Rosenqvist got here face-to-face together with his personal racing immortality.
Months after successful the one hundred and tenth working of the Indianapolis 500 on Might 24, 2026, within the closest end in race historical past – 0.0233 seconds over David Malukas – the gravity of the achievement is lastly setting in. Rosenqvist began fourth, led 25 of 200 laps, and averaged 162.021 mph via a file 70 lead modifications to seize a file $4.34 million winner’s purse in his eighth Indy begin.
Driving for Meyer Shank Racing earlier than transitioning again to Arrow McLaren for 2027, Rosenqvist turned the 77th distinct winner in race historical past, the seventeenth victory for Honda energy, and solely the third driver from Sweden to triumph on the Brickyard alongside Kenny Bräck (1999) and Marcus Ericsson (2022).
Seeing it for the primary time
Felix Rosenqvist
Picture by: Scott LePage / Borg Warner
“Yeah, my coronary heart was positively beating after they’re unveiling it. It was a excessive rigidity second,” Rosenqvist informed Motorsport.com. “He acquired my asymmetrical ears proper, in order that was like the primary inform that he’d accomplished an incredible job. It makes it extra private and a bit extra historical past to it than simply bolting the face onto the trophy.”
The revealing provided the 34-year-old a uncommon pause after a relentless 2026 IndyCar season. Sculptor William Behrends, who studied structure at NC State and earned his MFA at UNC earlier than immortalizing icons like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Henry Ford II, has created each Indy 500 winner’s likeness since Arie Luyendyk in 1990. Rosenqvist represents his thirty seventh sterling silver trophy picture.
“He is a unique face and totally different construction,” Behrends informed Motorsport.com. “He was telling us final evening once we photographed him within the morning after the race, he had gotten about an hour and a half of sleep. Effectively, final evening he is telling us this and I am considering, ‘Oh, yeah, thanks.’ I have been working from these pictures for about two weeks. That is the one face I do know is that of the drained, puffy one within the photograph. So, I used to be nervous once I unveiled it. However because it seems, he favored it.”
Felix Rosenqvist
Picture by: Scott LePage / Borg Warner
Touring Behrends’ studio provided lighthearted moments as Rosenqvist examined sculptures of fellow drivers, together with 2025 Indy 500 winner Alex Palou, who led 59 laps from pole on this yr’s race whereas sustaining his streak of finishing all 1,200 profession laps throughout six begins for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Nonetheless, the one which caught his consideration was fellow countryman Ericsson.
“I truly went straight as much as Marcus’s as a result of he (Behrends) has a number of of them,” Rosenqvist mentioned. “It is in all probability like 10 of them on show after which there’s like quite a lot of the mini ones. However I went as much as the Marcus one and simply did a voice impression of him and despatched it to him.
“Then I discovered TK (Tony Kanaan), made certain the nostril was good. Alex Rossi is definitely smiling on his, which I believed was a faux factor, like that may’t be actual. However yeah, he is up there smiling at me proper now truly.
“So yeah, it is form of enjoyable to only see all of the little faces. You clearly have some relationships with these guys as nicely, so it is tremendous, tremendous cool.”
Felix Rosenqvist
Picture by: Scott LePage / Borg Warner
Rosenqvist would be the 113th face on the Borg-Warner Trophy (which accounts for co-winners in 1924 and 1941). Standing 5 ft, 4 ¾ inches tall and weighing 110 kilos, the artwork deco trophy was commissioned in 1935 and debuted in 1936 with 24 unique faces. All driver photographs are sterling silver besides one: Tony Hulman, who bought the venue in 1945 and is depicted with a pure gold head. Tom Sneva stays the one driver proven carrying glasses, whereas the Unser household accounts for 9 faces (Bobby: 1968, 1975, 1981; Al: 1970, 1971, 1978, 1987; Al Jr.: 1992, 1994). The 2033 winner will fill the ultimate open spot on the present base, after which the 2034 winner will doubtless start a brand new, bigger base beneath.
Considerably, Rosenqvist would be the first driver on the Borg-Warner Trophy depicted with full facial hair. Solely six earlier successful drivers have been depicted with mustaches: Jules Goux (1913), René Thomas (1914), Gaston Chevrolet (1920), Wilbur Shaw (1937, 1939, 1940), Mauri Rose (1941, 1947, 1948), and Bobby Rahal (1986).
For Rosenqvist, having a while after a grueling 2026 IndyCar schedule allowed the fact of his achievement to lastly sink in.
“Sure, and I feel increasingly each day, particularly now after the season,” he mentioned. “The enjoyable factor is, after Indy, your racing life form of goes on like regular. And even the previous winners just like the Helio’s (Castroneves) and the Marcus’s and the (Josef) Newgardens of the world, like they’re there racing, too, simply usually. So, you form of soar on the identical practice. You do not actually take into consideration the truth that you received it an excessive amount of. And I feel you additionally put it aside a bit bit for later since you actually wish to get pleasure from it, so that you simply form of push it apart for some time. However yeah, now it is positively changing into extra actual.
“Now we have the Sweden journey developing in December and only a bunch of issues with the Borg-Warner Trophy. You retain seeing the replays (of the end). I nonetheless have not rewatched the entire race, which is one thing I actually need to do. It is a type of the place a number of days after I do not actually assume I really imagine that I received it. And now it is slowly settling in.”
Having fun with the second
Felix Rosenqvist
Picture by: Scott LePage / BorgWarner
Reflecting on the whirlwind celebration, Rosenqvist emphasizes taking in every bit of historical past alongside the best way.
“Simply attempt to get pleasure from it and attempt to not deal with it as work or one thing you must do. I feel if you happen to lean into it and speak to the folks concerned and speak concerning the historical past, traditions and like being right here speaking to Will’s household and concerning the drivers have been right here beforehand. There’s simply many cool storylines associated to this and so many traditions and historic issues that you just acquired to take it in and luxuriate in it as a result of life hastens and also you’re on to the subsequent factor.
“All of it’s actually cool. I feel getting your face sculpted is one thing that basically stands out and likewise getting to return to Sweden, to my hometown, and have a good time it. I feel each of them are mind-blowing issues to even take into consideration. I am tremendous pleased with being right here and representing my nation and representing Meyer Shank Racing, which was clearly a large a part of this win. I am tremendous proud that we have been ready to do this collectively. And yeah, simply attempt to get pleasure from it as a result of there might be instances to go to the IMS sooner or later the place it isn’t going to be what you wished it to be and that is simply a part of it.”
For Behrends, capturing Rosenqvist’s likeness carried additional weight after watching the thrilling Might end firsthand close to Flip 4.
“I have been going to the race yearly since 1989,” Behrends mentioned. “I informed Felix, that is by far probably the most thrilling end I’ve ever seen. Whenever you go to the race yearly, as we do, you form of get used to the truth that you get 10 or 20 laps left, one thing’s going to occur. It’ll be thrilling.
“However, it was off the charts this yr and what occurred. The place we watch it from is up towards Flip 4, so we will see the pylons board and the Yard the Bricks. We have been proper throughout from the doorway to the pits. And they also got here by us and he was nowhere close to in entrance, so we did not know who received. The best way he received it’s simply wow. I informed him that.
“That is one for the ages.”
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