When the velvet cloth dropped inside Will Behrends’ studio, revealing a finely crafted clay head, Felix Rosenqvist came face-to-face with his own racing immortality.
Months after winning the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, 2026, in the closest finish in race history – 0.0233 seconds over David Malukas – the gravity of the achievement is finally setting in. Rosenqvist started fourth, led 25 of 200 laps, and averaged 162.021 mph through a record 70 lead changes to capture a record $4.34 million winner’s purse in his eighth Indy start.
Driving for Meyer Shank Racing before transitioning back to Arrow McLaren for 2027, Rosenqvist became the 77th distinct winner in race history, the 17th victory for Honda power, and only the third driver from Sweden to triumph at the Brickyard alongside Kenny Bräck (1999) and Marcus Ericsson (2022).
Seeing it for the first time
Felix Rosenqvist
Photo by: Scott LePage / Borg Warner
“Yeah, my heart was definitely beating when they’re unveiling it. It was a high tension moment,” Rosenqvist told Motorsport.com. “He got my asymmetrical ears right, so that was like the first tell that he’d done an amazing job. It makes it more personal and a little more history to it than just bolting the face onto the trophy.”
The unveiling offered the 34-year-old a rare pause after a relentless 2026 IndyCar season. Sculptor William Behrends, who studied architecture at NC State and earned his MFA at UNC before immortalizing icons like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Henry Ford II, has created every Indy 500 winner’s likeness since Arie Luyendyk in 1990. Rosenqvist represents his 37th sterling silver trophy image.
“He’s a different face and different structure,” Behrends told Motorsport.com. “He was telling us last night when we photographed him in the morning after the race, he had gotten about an hour and a half of sleep. Well, last night he’s telling us this and I’m thinking, ‘Oh, yeah, thanks.’ I’ve been working from those photos for about two weeks. That’s the only face I know is that of the tired, puffy one in the photo. So, I was nervous when I unveiled it. But as it turns out, he liked it.”
Felix Rosenqvist
Photo by: Scott LePage / Borg Warner
Touring Behrends’ studio offered lighthearted moments as Rosenqvist examined sculptures of fellow drivers, including 2025 Indy 500 winner Alex Palou, who led 59 laps from pole in this year’s race while maintaining his streak of completing all 1,200 career laps across six starts for Chip Ganassi Racing.
However, the one that caught his attention was fellow countryman Ericsson.
“I actually went straight up to Marcus’s because he (Behrends) has a few of them,” Rosenqvist said. “It’s probably like 10 of them on display and then there’s like a lot of the mini ones. But I went up to the Marcus one and just did a voice impression of him and sent it to him.
“Then I found TK (Tony Kanaan), made sure the nose was good. Alex Rossi is actually smiling on his, which I thought was a fake thing, like that can’t be real. But yeah, he’s up there smiling at me right now actually.
“So yeah, it’s kind of fun to just see all the little faces. You obviously have some relationships with these guys as well, so it’s super, super cool.”
Felix Rosenqvist
Photo by: Scott LePage / Borg Warner
Rosenqvist will be the 113th face on the Borg-Warner Trophy (which accounts for co-winners in 1924 and 1941). Standing 5 feet, 4 ¾ inches tall and weighing 110 pounds, the art deco trophy was commissioned in 1935 and debuted in 1936 with 24 original faces. All driver images are sterling silver except one: Tony Hulman, who purchased the venue in 1945 and is depicted with a 24-karat gold head. Tom Sneva remains the only driver shown wearing glasses, while the Unser family accounts for nine faces (Bobby: 1968, 1975, 1981; Al: 1970, 1971, 1978, 1987; Al Jr.: 1992, 1994). The 2033 winner will fill the final open spot on the current base, after which the 2034 winner will likely begin a new, larger base underneath.
Significantly, Rosenqvist will be the first driver on the Borg-Warner Trophy depicted with full facial hair. Only six previous winning drivers were 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 some time after a grueling 2026 IndyCar schedule allowed the reality of his achievement to finally sink in.
“Yes, and I think more and more every day, especially now after the season,” he said. “The fun thing is, after Indy, your racing life kind of goes on like normal. And even the past winners like the Helio’s (Castroneves) and the Marcus’s and the (Josef) Newgardens of the world, like they’re there racing, too, just normally. So, you kind of jump on the same train. You don’t really think about the fact that you won it too much. And I think you also save it a little bit for later because you truly want to enjoy it, so you just kind of push it aside for a while. But yeah, now it’s definitely becoming more real.
“We have the Sweden trip coming up in December and just a bunch of things with the Borg-Warner Trophy. You keep seeing the replays (of the finish). I still haven’t rewatched the whole race, which is something I really have to do. It’s one of those where a few days after I don’t really think I truly believe that I won it. And now it’s slowly settling in.”
Enjoying the moment
Felix Rosenqvist
Photo by: Scott LePage / BorgWarner
Reflecting on the whirlwind celebration, Rosenqvist emphasizes taking in every piece of history along the way.
“Just try to enjoy it and try to not treat it as work or something you have to do. I think if you lean into it and talk to the people involved and talk about the history, traditions and like being here talking to Will’s family and about the drivers have been here previously. There’s just many cool storylines related to this and so many traditions and historical things that you got to take it in and enjoy it because life speeds up and you’re on to the next thing.
“All of it is really cool. I think getting your face sculpted is something that really stands out and also getting to go back to Sweden, to my hometown, and celebrate it. I think both of them are mind-blowing things to even think about. I’m super proud of being here and representing my country and representing Meyer Shank Racing, which was obviously a massive part of this win. I’m super proud that we were able to do that together. And yeah, just try to enjoy it because there will be times to go to the IMS in the future where it’s not going to be what you wanted it to be and that’s just part of it.”
For Behrends, capturing Rosenqvist’s likeness carried extra weight after watching the thrilling May finish firsthand near Turn 4.
“I’ve been going to the race every year since 1989,” Behrends said. “I told Felix, that’s by far the most exciting finish I’ve ever seen. When you go to the race every year, as we do, you kind of get used to the fact that you get 10 or 20 laps left, something’s going to happen. It’s going to be exciting.
“But, it was off the charts this year and what happened. Where we watch it from is up toward Turn 4, so we can see the pylons board and the Yard the Bricks. We were right across from the entrance to the pits. And so they came by us and he was nowhere near in front, so we didn’t know who won. The way he won it is just wow. I told him that.
“That’s one for the ages.”
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