Second in the Indy 500, David Malukas torn between redemption and a taste of too little

The man affectionately known as "Lil Dave" clearly made it into the big leagues at the 109th Indianapolis 500. Starting from seventh after narrowly missing out on a spot in the Fast 6, the AJ Foyt Racing driver spent his entire Sunday afternoon at the front, eventually moving into the lead group in the closing laps of the race.

Arrived in IndyCar In 2022, with Dale Coyne Racing, David Malukas particularly showed himself on the Gateway oval, with two podiums in his first two seasons. Enough to open the doors to Arrow for him McLaren for the 2024 season, and allow him to move up a level. A mountain bike crash before the start of the season sent him into a downward spiral that resulted in his dismissal before he could even compete in a papaya race. The American-Lithuanian narrowly managed to find a seat with Meyer Shank, and then finally with AJ Foyt for this 2025 season. For all these reasons, finishing third in the Indy 500 was emotional for the young driver from Chicago. He even officially finished in second place, Marcus Ericsson having been disqualified.

“Seeing the position of the car and how good we were, we really had what it took at the end of the race. I really imagined this victory, and I gave it my all in the last fifteen laps. We accelerated and I was hanging on as much as possible trying to get something out of it. Those two cars one lap back came and spoiled the fun for us and chose the winner. That's how it goes on this track. The past year has been the hardest of my life. I've experienced a lot of different emotions, a roller coaster. And if I look back, a year ago today, I wasn't even in IndyCar anymore. I didn't have a left hand and I was here, in the press room, as a simple fan. And I can say that a year later, I'm back at the Indy 500, and not just back, but I'm fighting for the victory, which is incredible to say.”

A podium as a guide for the future

Despite the loss of engineer Michael Cannon during the offseason, legendary AJ Foyt's team once again proved particularly fast at the Speedway, with another top 10 finish for Santino Ferrucci. David Malukas paid tribute to his team, which arrived with a plan and a setup philosophy, and didn't have to deviate from it throughout May.

“You have to look at things positively. The guys did an incredible job from start to finish. And I'm not talking about the race, but this month. As soon as we put the car on track, we put it in the right direction and we never took any risks. Our path was clear, and that's what allowed us to finish in third place. It's thanks to the engineers and mechanics who did an incredible job. I think we needed that. If I look at the championship and the season as a whole, we had a bit of a rough start. So I think this month was very good for us, to boost our morale and guide us for the rest of the season.”

A few weeks before the race on his favorite Gateway track, could a first victory be in sight for David Malukas?

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