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Marcus Ericsson holds back tears, gets hugs from wife as Alex Palou takes the win at Indy 500| Watch
Marcus Ericsson took off his gear but stood by his car, barely able to hold back his tears. His wife, Iris Jondahl, came over to offer a few words.
Marcus Ericsson fell just short of a win at the Indy 500 on Sunday, finishing a close second behind eventual winner Alex Palou.
Ericsson, who had won the event back in 2022, was confident of a first-place finish in Indianapolis but fell heartbreakingly short as Palou took the chequered flag. He came out of the car and was immediately surrounded by his team members and family, who consoled the Swedish driver as he battled with the emotions of missing out on the win.
Marcus Ericsson took off his gear but stood by his car, barely able to hold back his tears. A member of his crew hugged him before his wife, Iris Jondahl, came over to offer a few words of encouragement.
The couple then went on to embrace each other before others also came up and had a few words and embraces with the driver.
The difference between Alex Palou's and Marcus Ericsson's times was astonishingly low: both cars were separated by just 0.6822 seconds.
Alex Palou holds off Marcus Ericsson
Spain's Alex Palou held off Sweden's Marcus Ericsson over the final laps to win the 109th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday and capture his first oval triumph.
Palou became the first Spaniard to reach Victory Lane after 200 laps over the famed 2.5-mile (4km) Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval and made his breakthrough in his 29th oval start.
"I cannot believe it. What an amazing day. What an amazing race," Palou said. "It's amazing to be here. It's amazing to win."
Palou, who won three of the past four IndyCar season titles and has won five of this year's first six IndyCar races, took the checkered flag under caution after a crash well behind the leaders' fight.
Ericsson, the 2022 Indy 500 winner, refuelled with 24 laps remaining and returned to the track still in front, just ahead of Palou with American David Malukas third and Mexican Pato O'Ward fourth.
Palou, who started on the outside of the second row, passed Ericsson on the inside at the first turn with 14 laps remaining and was drafting off slower cars over the final laps.
