A number of former Formulation 1 drivers will probably be chasing Indy 500 glory this weekend, with Mick Schumacher and Romain Grosjean among the many largest names on the grid.
The a hundred and tenth working of the Indianapolis 500 options 5 ex-F1 drivers throughout the 33-car area, giving this yr’s race an added layer of worldwide consideration forward of Sunday’s inexperienced flag at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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Alexander Rossi headlines the previous F1 contingent after qualifying on the entrance row, whereas Schumacher prepares for his first look in IndyCar’s largest race.
Picture by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Pictures
Former Formulation 1 expertise provides main intrigue to this yr’s area
5 former Formulation 1 drivers will participate within the 2026 Indianapolis 500:
Rossi enters the weekend because the main former Formulation 1 driver on the grid after qualifying second for Ed Carpenter Racing. The American stays one of the crucial skilled Indy 500 drivers within the area after profitable the race as a rookie again in 2016.
Takuma Sato additionally arrives with sturdy Indianapolis credentials after qualifying twelfth for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. The Japanese veteran is a two-time Indy 500 winner and stays the one Asian driver to win the race.
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Mick Schumacher will make his Indy 500 debut after transferring to IndyCar following his Formulation 1 profession with Haas. Schumacher certified twenty seventh for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and arrives in Indianapolis after beforehand competing in endurance racing and the World Endurance Championship.
Romain Grosjean returns for an additional try at Indy 500 success after qualifying twenty fourth for Dale Coyne Racing. The Frenchman has recorded six IndyCar podiums since leaving Formulation 1 and continues trying to find a breakthrough end result at Indianapolis.
Marcus Ericsson completes the previous Formulation 1 group after qualifying seventeenth for Andretti World. Ericsson received the Indy 500 in 2022 and stays one of many strongest oval racers within the present IndyCar area.
Alex Palou stays the motive force everybody should beat at Indianapolis
Though a number of former Formulation 1 names convey added consideration to the occasion, Alex Palou enters Sunday because the clear favorite after securing pole place in the course of the Firestone Quick Six session. The reigning Indy 500 winner has carried his dominant early-season type instantly into Indianapolis.
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Palou posted the quickest four-lap qualifying common and can begin alongside Rossi and David Malukas on the entrance row. Josef Newgarden, one other former Indy 500 winner, faces a way more troublesome afternoon after qualifying twenty third.
The previous Formulation 1 drivers nonetheless convey loads of intrigue to the race, particularly with Rossi beginning close to the entrance and Ericsson already confirmed across the Brickyard. Schumacher’s debut and Grosjean’s newest try and lastly conquer Indianapolis additionally add additional storylines to an already stacked area.
Sunday’s race is anticipated to happen in dry climate situations, which ought to enhance the significance of outright tempo and future consistency throughout the 200-lap occasion.
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