For fans of the Indianapolis 500, Sunday’s 109th iteration of the storied event brought with it its usual assortment of thrills, spills, and automobiles.
But this year’s event brought with it some truly bizarre controversies that may help separate it from the 108 events that preceded it.
One of the biggest talking points to come out of the Indy 500 was the unceremonious end to the race for IndyCar rookie Robert Shwartzman, as reported on by Fox News.
Shwartzman, who began in pole position and had one of the quickest qualifying times for the event, ended his day after a crash that severely injured several of his pit crew members.
After roughly 87 laps completed, Shwartzman was going for his pit stall when he seemingly lost control of his vehicle.
The vehicle skidded and collided with several members of his waiting crew.
Four members tried to avoid the incoming car, with varying degrees of success, while a fifth member was seriously injured and had to be taken out on a stretcher.
“I honestly it felt really strange, my brakes already when I was going slow coming in the pit lane,” Shwartzman said. “I locked both front tires, which usually is not the case.
“I wasn’t sure if it was the brakes or because the tires were cold. And then when I came back to my pit, I really actually, I did not push, I tried to be very slow.
“But as soon as I touched my brakes, my whole front just locked, and I just went straight into the guys.”
The driver also highlighted how unnerving it was to lose control of a car: “It was really scary, because at the moment I braked, I was just a passenger. There was nothing — no brakes.”
The crash ultimately ended Shwartzman’s day.
You can view the harrowing incident for yourself below:
Robert Shwartzman joins @JamieLittleTV to discuss what happened when he hit the wall on his pit stop. pic.twitter.com/LTvZeiosJS
— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) May 25, 2025
But it wasn’t just the in-race happenings that caused a stir on Sunday.
The other reason that people may remember this Indy 500 well is that the driver who came in second place ultimately ended up in 31st place.
As ESPN noted, on Monday, Indy 500 runner-up Marcus Ericsson and teammate Kyle Kirkwood were penalized after a post-race inspection found that they had “unapproved modifications” on their cars.
These modifications are alleged to have potentially “helped their aerodynamic efficiency.”
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