It is time for one of the biggest races of the year: The 2024 Indianapolis 500 is ready to go. 33 drivers, 200 laps, mind-blowing speed - here is our preview to the 108th running of the race.
When 33 cars line up at the legendary Brickyard, the stands are packed with over 300,000 spectators and "Back Home In Indiana" sounds from the PA, it can only mean one thing: The Indianapolis 500 is near! The 2024 edition, which marks the 108th running of the legendary race, is set to see the green flag fly on May 26 at 16:38 UTC.
Traditionally, the Indy 500 is the biggest event of the IndyCar season, and it generates several exciting storylines in the lead-up to the race. 2024 is no exception, as qualifying did include bumping for the final grid spots as part of the Last Chance Qualifiers. 34 entries competed for 33 grid spots - and the unfortunate driver to not make the cut was 19-year-old rookie Nolan Siegel.
It was not for a lack of trying from the Dale Coyne Racing driver, however. Having suffered a big crash on Fast Friday, Siegel and his team tried to get their backup car up to speed. In his final qualifying attempt, he tapped the wall coming off of Turn 1, crashing heavily in Turn 2. Siegel was unhurt in the accident - and proceeded to deliver a cracking quote afterwards: "I said it before and I'll say it again, I'm not going to go home because I lifted."
The other cars on the verge of missing out were those of Marcus Ericsson and Katherine Legge. Ericsson had also suffered a big crash on the Thursday before qualifying, having trouble to get his backup car up to speed. In Last Chance Qualifying, the Swede then misjudged how many laps were left and lifted, resulting in an average that was too slow to qualify. A last-minute attempt saw the Andretti driver sneak in after all, however.
Legge also provided some spectacle, touching the wall coming off of Turn 4 on the final of her four laps. Despite this, she kept the throttle floored to finish her run, qualifying on the inside of row 11.
Meanwhile, Team Penske swept the front row in remarkable fashion, as Scott McLaughlin secured Pole with the fastest four-lap average ever recorded for an Indianapolis 500 Pole sitter. The New Zealander prevailed over Will Power and defending Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden.
Right behind the Penske trio, in the middle of row 3, 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle Larson lines up in a McLaren-Chevrolet entry. The 31-year-old is making his debut at Indianapolis, garnering enormous attention - and if everything goes according the plan, the 500 will not be the only race he is going to contest on Sunday: Larson's plan is to do the Double and head to Charlotte to compete in NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600.
Larson is only the fifth driver to attempt this feat, the first one being John Andretti in 1994. It will also be the first attempt in ten years, after Kurt Busch finished sixth in the 2014 Indy 500, before retiring from the Coca-Cola 600 with a blown engine.
The stage looks to be set for an exciting 200-lap contest on Sunday. Championship leader Álex Palou will have his work cut out for him, as the Chip Ganassi Racing driver starts in the middle of row 5, right in the middle of the pack. Considering the start and the first few laps are usually rather risky, significant gains can be made - or the race could be over for some.
With the recent fireworks between Romain Grosjean and Santino Ferrucci, this duo should be one to look out for as well. However, Grosjean will have some catching-up to do first, having qualified in the middle of row 9, whereas Ferrucci starts the 500 on the outside of row 2.
Meanwhile, the big unknown is the weather. Forecasts ahead of race day showed significant chances of rain, but it would not be the first time a supposed downpour would not materialize around Speedway, Indiana. Should the race be delayed, this could also jeopardize Larson's Double attempt.
Originally, it looked like UK racing fans were in for a treat, as Sky Sports F1 UK was planning on live streaming the full race for free on its YouTube channel, alongside its TV coverage. However, this plan changed two days before the race, possibly due to concerns raised by US broadcaster NBC.
Who are you rooting for to win the 2024 Indianapolis 500? Let us know in the poll above and in the comments below!
When 33 cars line up at the legendary Brickyard, the stands are packed with over 300,000 spectators and "Back Home In Indiana" sounds from the PA, it can only mean one thing: The Indianapolis 500 is near! The 2024 edition, which marks the 108th running of the legendary race, is set to see the green flag fly on May 26 at 16:38 UTC.
Traditionally, the Indy 500 is the biggest event of the IndyCar season, and it generates several exciting storylines in the lead-up to the race. 2024 is no exception, as qualifying did include bumping for the final grid spots as part of the Last Chance Qualifiers. 34 entries competed for 33 grid spots - and the unfortunate driver to not make the cut was 19-year-old rookie Nolan Siegel.
It was not for a lack of trying from the Dale Coyne Racing driver, however. Having suffered a big crash on Fast Friday, Siegel and his team tried to get their backup car up to speed. In his final qualifying attempt, he tapped the wall coming off of Turn 1, crashing heavily in Turn 2. Siegel was unhurt in the accident - and proceeded to deliver a cracking quote afterwards: "I said it before and I'll say it again, I'm not going to go home because I lifted."
Action-packed Qualifying Sessions
Siegel not completing his qualifying run meant that Graham Rahal made it to the race in the final spot on the grid. In 2023, Rahal had already struggled, failing to qualify. He did race however, as he filled in at Dreyer & Reinbold Racing after Stefan Wilson was injured in a post-qualifying practice crash.The other cars on the verge of missing out were those of Marcus Ericsson and Katherine Legge. Ericsson had also suffered a big crash on the Thursday before qualifying, having trouble to get his backup car up to speed. In Last Chance Qualifying, the Swede then misjudged how many laps were left and lifted, resulting in an average that was too slow to qualify. A last-minute attempt saw the Andretti driver sneak in after all, however.
Legge also provided some spectacle, touching the wall coming off of Turn 4 on the final of her four laps. Despite this, she kept the throttle floored to finish her run, qualifying on the inside of row 11.
Meanwhile, Team Penske swept the front row in remarkable fashion, as Scott McLaughlin secured Pole with the fastest four-lap average ever recorded for an Indianapolis 500 Pole sitter. The New Zealander prevailed over Will Power and defending Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden.
Right behind the Penske trio, in the middle of row 3, 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle Larson lines up in a McLaren-Chevrolet entry. The 31-year-old is making his debut at Indianapolis, garnering enormous attention - and if everything goes according the plan, the 500 will not be the only race he is going to contest on Sunday: Larson's plan is to do the Double and head to Charlotte to compete in NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600.
Larson is only the fifth driver to attempt this feat, the first one being John Andretti in 1994. It will also be the first attempt in ten years, after Kurt Busch finished sixth in the 2014 Indy 500, before retiring from the Coca-Cola 600 with a blown engine.
2024 Indy 500 Starting Grid
Row | Inside | Middle | Outside |
| 1 | Scott McLaughlin | Will Power | Josef Newgarden |
| 2 | Alexander Rossi | Kyle Larson | Santino Ferrucci |
| 3 | Rinus VeeKay | Pato O'Ward | Felix Rosenqvist |
| 4 | Takuma Sato | Kyle Kirkwood | Ryan Hunter-Reay |
| 5 | Colton Herta | Álex Palou | Callum Ilott |
| 6 | Marcus Armstrong | Ed Carpenter | Kyffin Simpson |
| 7 | Marco Andretti | Hélio Castroneves | Scott Dixon |
| 8 | Agustín Canapino | Sting Ray Robb | Christian Rasmussen |
| 9 | Tom Blomqvist | Romain Grosjean | Linus Lundqvist |
| 10 | Christian Lundgaard | Conor Daly | Pietro Fittipaldi |
| 11 | Katherine Legge | Marcus Ericsson | Graham Rahal |
Former Winners
- Hélio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021)
- Scott Dixon (2008)
- Marcus Ericsson (2022)
- Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014)
- Josef Newgarden (2023)
- Will Power (2018)
- Alexander Rossi (2016)
- Takuma Sato (2017, 2020)
Rookies
- Marcus Armstrong
- Tom Blomqvist
- Kyle Larson
- Linus Lundqvist
- Christian Rasmussen
- Kyffin Simpson
The stage looks to be set for an exciting 200-lap contest on Sunday. Championship leader Álex Palou will have his work cut out for him, as the Chip Ganassi Racing driver starts in the middle of row 5, right in the middle of the pack. Considering the start and the first few laps are usually rather risky, significant gains can be made - or the race could be over for some.
With the recent fireworks between Romain Grosjean and Santino Ferrucci, this duo should be one to look out for as well. However, Grosjean will have some catching-up to do first, having qualified in the middle of row 9, whereas Ferrucci starts the 500 on the outside of row 2.
Meanwhile, the big unknown is the weather. Forecasts ahead of race day showed significant chances of rain, but it would not be the first time a supposed downpour would not materialize around Speedway, Indiana. Should the race be delayed, this could also jeopardize Larson's Double attempt.
How To Watch The 2024 Indianapolis 500
Like the rest of the IndyCar season, the 2024 Indianapolis 500 is broadcast globally. While TV stations in several regions show the race, others have to rely on streaming the event. You can find out which broadcaster carries the Indy 500 in your region via the 2024 International Broadcasters list on IndyCar.com.Originally, it looked like UK racing fans were in for a treat, as Sky Sports F1 UK was planning on live streaming the full race for free on its YouTube channel, alongside its TV coverage. However, this plan changed two days before the race, possibly due to concerns raised by US broadcaster NBC.
Who are you rooting for to win the 2024 Indianapolis 500? Let us know in the poll above and in the comments below!
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