2025 Indy 500 Race: Everything you need to know

Get ready to start your engines

Described by American enthusiasts as ‘the greatest spectacle in racing’, the 109th Indianapolis 500 takes place on Sunday 25 May 2025.

Marking the culmination of a month-long battle to make the grid, some 33 IndyCar drivers will fight it out over 500 miles for one of the top prizes in motorsport.

Expect plenty of high-speed drama and close competition, along with a celebratory bottle of milk for the winner.

Our full guide contains all the key information you need to watch the Indy 500 – and enjoy a big slice of American racing here in the UK.

What is the Indy 500?

First held in 1911, the Indy 500 (or Indianapolis 500, to use its full title) is one of the biggest motorsport events on the planet. Steeped in tradition, with huge speeds and close racing on offer, it is easy to see why the Indy 500 has become so revered.

The modern race features as part of the NTT IndyCar Series, but such is its appeal that drivers make one-off entries just to compete in the Indy 500.

The Indy 500 forms one part of the ‘Triple Crown of Motorsport’ along with the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Only the late Graham Hill has so far achieved a victory in all three races.

However, even winning the Indy 500 alone will propel a driver into motorsport history, which is what the 33 racers taking part in this year’s event are hoping for.

How can I watch the 2025 Indy 500 in the UK?

Sky Sports has the sole UK broadcast rights for the 2025 Indianapolis 500. This includes almost 40 hours of IndyCar coverage throughout the month of May, airing practice sessions and the all-important qualifying.

Sky Sports subscribers will be able to watch live via the Sky Sports F1 channel. Non-subscribers can purchase a Now TV Sky Sports day pass to watch the race.

Commentary will be provided by the (pictured) Fox Sports team of Will Buxton, James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell. Additional coverage in the UK will be provided by Tom Gaymor from Sky Sports.

Is there a live stream for the 2025 Indy 500?

Sadly, there is no official internet livestream for those wanting to watch the Indy 500 in the UK. However, Sky subscribers can make use of the SkyGo app to stream the race to a smartphone or mobile device.

Free live timing is available to UK fans through the official IndyCar smartphone app, though. This also features onboard camera feeds.

What time does the 2025 Indy 500 start in the UK?

The Indy 500 starts relatively early in the United States, with race day traditions beginning at 9am local time on Sunday in Indianapolis. Cars will start appearing on the grid at around 10:30am – equivalent to 3:30pm British Summer Time (BST) in the UK.

Coverage of the build-up to the race will begin on Sky Sports F1 from 5:30pm BST.

After all the elaborate processions and ceremonies have taken place, the racing should finally begin at 12.45pm local time, or 5.45pm BST.

How many fans will be at the 2025 Indy 500?

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway lays claim to being the world’s highest-capacity sporting venue, with permanent seating for an incredible 257,325 fans on race day.

All the grandstands have sold out ahead of the 2025 race.

This means that, with temporary seating and other hospitality arrangements, an estimated 350,000 people are expected to attend the Indy 500 this year.

Who won the Indy 500 in 2024?

Last year, Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden claimed his second successive Indy 500 victory.

Despite being a two-time NTT IndyCar Series champion, the top prize had eluded Newgarden until 2023. However, he managed to hold off a late challenge from Pato O’Ward last year, securing himself back-to-back wins.

Whether Newgarden can make it three in a row looks harder now, with him and teammate Will Power being disqualified from qualifying due to breaking technical rules. This will mean Newgarden and Power will start at the back of the pack.

Who is on pole position for the 2025 Indy 500?

Everything is bigger at the Indy 500, including a qualifying process that takes place over two days. From the full field of 34 drivers, only 33 are able to start the race. This meant rookie Jacob Abel was the unfortunate driver ‘bumped’ from the grid for 2025.

Drivers get four laps in each qualifying run, with an average speed then calculated. The fastest 12 drivers get to run again, fighting it out for a place in the final six, and the chance to claim pole position.

For 2025, rookie Robert Shwartzman claimed pole position, driving for the new-to-IndyCar Prema Racing team.

Shwartzman’s average speed of 232.790mph shocked the crowd, with the young driver having appeared slow throughout the various practice sessions. He’d also never raced on an oval track until Indy.

Are there any British drivers in the 2025 Indy 500?

The 2025 Indy 500 sees three British competitors hoping to take victory in the classic American race.

Taking his place as the top British driver in the 2025 Indy 500 is Hampshire’s very own Louis Foster, driving for the Rahal Letterman Lanigan team. He starts in 20th position on the grid.

Louis is the son of former British Touring Car Championship driver Nick Foster, and claimed the drivers’ title in the 2024 Indy NXT development series.

Callum Ilott

Cambridgeshire’s Callum Ilott is the next British driver on the grid, starting in 21st for the new Prema Racing team.

This year marks Ilott’s fourth entry into the Indy 500, with his 11th place finish in 2024 being his best performance to date.

Jack Harvey

The final British driver on the grid for the 2025 Indy 500 is Lincolnshire-born Jack Harvey.

A veteran of 93 IndyCar races over eight seasons, Harvey stepped back from running a full-time programme for this year to work as a TV analyst for Fox Sports instead.

However, he is back to compete with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in the Indy 500, and starts in 26th position.

Is Katherine Legge racing in the 2025 Indy 500?

Katherine Legge has been one of the sole female entrants in the Indy 500 during recent years, but the racer from Guilford will not be on the grid for 2025.

Although Legge was unable to secure an Indy 500 seat, she is competing in NASCAR throughout 2025 instead.

Significantly, Legge still holds the record of the fastest qualifying speed set by a female driver at the Indy 500.

Which other big-name drivers are in the 2025 Indy 500?

What makes the Indy 500 special is that experienced drivers will frequently make a return to racing, just to compete in this event. Teams can also field extra cars to accommodate them.

Brazilian driver Helio Castroneves is one of the heroes returning to the Indy 500 grid for 2025, doing so as a four-time winner of the race. Helio last won the Indy 500 in 2021, and will look to use his talent and experience to do so again this year. The 50-year-old is driving for the Meyer Shank Racing team, and will start from 22nd position.

Takuma Sato, pictured here, was the winner of the Indy 500 in 2017 and 2020. The 48-year-old Japanese driver has a storied motorsport history, most famously having raced in Formula One between 2002 and 2008.

Sato showed incredible speed during qualifying for this year’s Indy 500,  driving for the competitive Rahal Letterman Lanigan team. Making it through to the final Fast Six shootout, Sato starts second on the grid, and could be in contention to win come Sunday.

Why is Kyle Larson pulling ‘double duty’ at the Indy 500?

Kyle Larson usually races in the top-level NASCAR Cup Series, but has elected to enter the Indy 500 again through a partnership with the Arrow McLaren team. However, the Indy 500 takes place on the same day as the important NASCAR Coca Cola 600 race.

This will mean Larson starts his day in Indianapolis by driving the Indy 500. Once finished, he will be flown by private jet to North Carolina, and then helicoptered to the infield of the Charlotte Motor Speedway to start the Coca Cola 600.

All of this relies on precise timings, and no weather delays, to allow Larson to complete 1,100 racing miles in one day!

Larson attempted the same ‘double duty’ feat in 2024, with rain delays at Indy causing him to miss the start of the NASCAR race.

Who is the most successful driver at the Indy 500?

Four drivers share the title of the most wins at the Indy 500, each tied on four victories.

Al Unser, A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Helio Castroneves have all had their faces added to the huge Borg Warner Trophy on four occasions.

With Castroneves competing in the 2025 Indy 500, he has the chance to become the most successful driver of all time, should he manage an epic fifth win.

What cars do they use for the Indy 500?

The cars used at the Indy 500 are the same as those featured in the regular IndyCar Series.

All IndyCar teams use the Dallara DW12 chassis, while Honda and Chevrolet provide a choice of 2.2-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engines. A six-speed paddle-shift sequential gearbox is supplied by Xtrac, with tyres made by Firestone.

The IndyCar organisers supply a standard aero kit for the Dallara DW12 chassis, placing as much emphasis as possible on driver talent instead of building the fastest car.

All of this allows the potential for IndyCar racers to reach speeds of more than 240mph.

Do Indy 500 cars now use hybrid power?

IndyCar announced plans to begin using turbocharged V6 engines with hybrid technology back in 2019. The new engines were initially planned for introduction at the start of the 2024 NTT IndyCar Series, but organisers opted to delay this.

Following extensive testing, the first IndyCar race with hybrid power was the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio in July 2024.

This year’s race will be the first Indy 500 to feature hybrid powertrains, allowing drivers to deploy a combined output of up to 900hp.

Which pace car is being used for the 2025 Indy 500?

The official pace car for the 2025 Indy 500 is the mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, equipped with a 5.5-litre twin-turbocharged V8.

With 1,064hp on tap, the Corvette ZR1 is capable of reaching a top speed of 233mph – even faster than the qualifying speed set by Robert Shwartzman.

It marks the 22nd time a Corvette has been used as a pace car for the event, and the 36th time for a Chevrolet. The Bowtie brand first led the field in 1948, and has held a monopoly on the pace car role since 2002.

Former NFL player and award-winning TV presenter Michael Strahan has been named as the honorary pace car driver for 2025.

Why does the Indy 500 circuit feature a yard of bricks?

When the Indianapolis Motor Speedway first opened in 1909, the track surface was a combination of soil, gravel and limestone covered in tar. Fatal accidents after only the first three days of racing led to the need for a new track surface.

Bricks were chosen as offering the best traction, with 3.2 million bricks used to pave the 2.5-mile circuit. This resulted in the nickname of ‘The Brickyard’, with the bricks remaining until 1961.

With the track now covered with asphalt, a symbolic yard of bricks was left to mark the finish line. Race winners now kiss the bricks to celebrate victory.

Why does the Indy 500 winner drink a bottle of milk?

Arguably one of the strangest traditions in the Indianapolis 500 is the winning driver drinking a bottle of milk to celebrate.

The tradition began in 1933, after Louis Meyer took his second Indy 500 victory. Meyer chose to drink buttermilk after the race, believing it would be refreshing on a hot day. He did the same again after his third Indy win in 1936.

A dairy company executive saw a photo of Meyer drinking milk, leading to the beverage being offered to future Indy 500 winners. Today, the Indiana Dairy association gives the winning driver $10,000 for choosing to drink milk as part of their post-race celebration.

Pictured here is Josef Newgarden, celebrating his 2024 Indy 500 with his choice of full-fat whole milk.

What is the controversy around Penske at the 2025 Indy 500?

During qualifying for this year’s Indy 500, the Team Penske cars of Josef Newgarden and Will Power were found to have broken the rules around modifying standard parts of the DW12 chassis.

Following an investigation, IndyCar announced that both drivers would be moved to the back of the grid for the race, forfeiting qualifying points earned. In addition, Penske was fined $100,000 for each car, with the team’s strategists suspended for the remainder of the event.

Making the situation more controversial is that Team Penske is owned by Roger Penske, who is also the owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway venue – and indeed the IndyCar series itself.