Former Manor Formula 1 driver Alexander Rossi stole a shock maiden IndyCar win in the 100th Indianapolis 500, sweeping past the chequered flag with barely enough fuel to make the finish.

The Andretti-Herta driver had been running his Dallara-Honda on the fringes of the top 10 for the first half of the race, having qualified highest of the rookies in 11th.

After a snap of oversteer for Mikhail Aleshin on lap 114 of 200 speared him into the wall, followed shortly by Conor Daly, the yellow flags came out.

Alex Tagliani and Rossi opted to go off strategy and not pit under the yellow flags, which meant they found themselves at the head of the field.

After being forced to make their stops under the green flags a short time later, the pair looked out of contention.

But a strong stop under yellow flags when Buddy Lazier lost a wheel with 50 laps remaining propelled Rossi up to eighth on the restart.

That put him in contention in the dying laps when first leader Tony Kanaan, and then Carlos Munoz were forced to pit for a splash of fuel.

Rossi had been running on fumes but held on for the win, with just enough to get him over the line.

Munoz finished second ahead of Josef Newgarden in third. Kanaan eventually finished fourth.

The Honda trio of Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti team-mate Townsend Bell and Schmidt Peterson’s polesitter James Hinchcliffe had the early pace, trading the lead between them in the first half of the race.

Under the yellows for the Aleshin incident a clumsy exit meant Helio Castroneves and Bell touched, which speared Bell into the path of Hunter-Reay.

Both were wheeled back into their pitboxes for new front wings, but fed out 25th and 26th and out of contention for the win.

In the closing laps Newgarden, Castroneves and Kanaan traded the lead, before a loose left rear wheel guard dropped Penske driver Castroneves back.

Hinchcliffe maintained the pace to run in the top five for most of the race, but couldn’t hold on and ended up seventh.

Juan Pablo Montoya lost the rear of his Penske Dallara-Chevy on the exit of Turn 1 on lap 64, which spun his car around and slammed him into the wall, making the 2015 race winner the first retirement.

Championship leader Simon Pagenaud pitted under the ensuing yellow flags but an unsafe release into Aleshin meant the stewards forced him to the back of the field and he eventually finished 19th.

Rossi’s result makes him the first rookie to win the Indy 500 since Castroneves in 2001, and the first rookie to win a race this season.

RESULTS – 200 LAPS:

100th Indy 500 win goes to rookie American Alexander Rossi