Tuesday 31 May 2016 11:35, UK
Manor F1 reserve driver Alexander Rossi claimed an unlikely victory in the 100th edition of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.
Rossi, who returned to the United States this year after failing to nail down a 2016 seat in Formula 1, just made it to the finish line before running out of gas at the end of a race which had been dominated by fuel strategy.
A number of his closest rivals had to stop for a splash of fuel in the closing laps, with Carlos Munoz and Josef Newgarden the chief losers after having swapped the lead for a good deal of the closing stages of the race.
They both made late visits to the pits, handing Rossi the lead, and the American was able to hold on to claim victory, one he could only celebrate after his Honda was towed back in.
He is the first driver to have won the race on his debut since 2001.
"I have no idea how we pulled that off," said Rossi, who is in his fifth year in Formula 1 as a test driver after serving Caterham and Marussia, also taking part in five grands prix for Manor Marussia last season.
"The only actual site of an oval that I'd ever been to was Phoenix in February, I'm definitely a rookie on ovals.
"Obviously street courses I have an understanding about. But IndyCar is a whole different can of worms than anything I've been a part of. It's incredibly competitive and incredibly close. You have to be perfect all three days, everyone around you, drivers and teams."
Andretti Racing team-mate Munoz eventually came home second - his second runner-up finish in four years - with Newgarden in third ahead of veteran Tony Kanaan.
Max Chilton, another driver who has lined up for Manor in F1, finished 15th in the Chip Ganassi.
Don't miss this week's F1 Report for full analysis and reaction to the epic Monaco GP and Lewis Hamilton's return to winning ways. Sky F1's David Croft and Marc Priestley join Craig Slater on Wednesday at 8.30pm on Sky Sports F1
