The Grand Prix of Indianapolis , also known as the IndyCar Grand Prix is an IndyCar Series race held on the combined road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana . The race was first held in 2014 and is typically held on a Saturday in mid-May, two weekends prior to the Indianapolis 500 . The race serves as a lead-in to the Indianapolis 500, and includes support races from the Road to Indy , including Indy NXT , USF Pro 2000 Championship and USF2000 Championship .
145-745: The race is run on a newer, modified layout of the circuit previously used for the Formula One United States Grand Prix , and later the Moto GP motorcycle event . From 2014 to 2016, the race was known as the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, and from 2015 to 2016 it was sponsored by Angie's List . For 2017, the Angie's List title sponsorship was dropped, and the race name was changed to the IndyCar Grand Prix. This
290-486: A rev limiter . The Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) believed that allowing some teams to have such technical freedom would have created a 'two-tier' championship, and thus requested urgent talks with the FIA. But talks broke down and FOTA teams announced, with the exception of Williams and Force India , that 'they had no choice' but to form a breakaway championship series . On 24 June, Formula One's governing body and
435-627: A ban on ground-effect aerodynamics during 1983 . But by then, turbocharged engines, which Renault had pioneered in 1977 , were producing over 520 kW (700 bhp) and were essential to be competitive. By 1986 , a BMW turbocharged engine achieved a flash reading of 5.5 bar (80 psi) pressure, estimated to be over 970 kW (1,300 bhp) in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix . The next year, power in race trim reached around 820 kW (1,100 bhp), with boost pressure limited to only 4.0 bar. These cars were
580-412: A computer system via radio, which includes speed and lap time estimated to the thousandth of a second. All drivers have been permitted two warm-up laps since 1982 , down from three between 1946 and 1981 . The decision to continue or abandon the effort had to be made before the second warm-up lap was completed. A qualifying attempt begins when a team representative waves a green flag . If they wave
725-444: A dominating trend in 2015 for Penske Racing during qualifying. Penske cars qualified first, third, fourth, and fifth, with Ganassi's Scott Dixon (2nd) situated on the outside of the front row. At the start, a multi-car tangle in turn one saw Scott Dixon spin out in front of the entire field. Hélio Castroneves (in his milestone 300th Indy car start) was involved in contact, as was Josef Newgarden , and others. Will Power took
870-469: A driver's fastest lap in that period (barring infractions) counts. Any timed lap started before the end of that period may be completed and will count toward that driver's placement. The number of cars eliminated in each period is dependent on the total number of cars entered into the championship. Currently, with 20 cars, Q1 runs for 18 minutes, and eliminates the slowest five drivers. During this period, any driver whose best lap takes longer than 107% of
1015-482: A guerrilla war with a very long-term aim in view". FOCA threatened to establish a rival series and boycotted a Grand Prix, and FISA withdrew its sanction from races. The result was the 1981 Concorde Agreement , which guaranteed technical stability, as teams were to be given reasonable notice of new regulations. Although FISA asserted its right to the TV revenues, it gave FOCA the administration of those rights. FISA imposed
1160-468: A lightning fast 6.7-second pit stop. He emerged as the leader, and led the final 14 laps to victory. Cold temperatures and cloudy, windy conditions made for one of the coldest Indy car races in Speedway history. It was Team Penske 's second consecutive win in the Grand Prix, and 18th overall win at Indy. Will Power started from the pole position and led 61 of 85 laps en route to victory. The race went
1305-404: A management buyout to become Brawn GP , with Ross Brawn and Nick Fry running and owning the majority of the organisation. Brawn GP laid off hundreds of employees, but won the year's world championships. BMW F1 was bought out by the original founder of the team, Peter Sauber . The Lotus F1 Team was another, formerly manufacturer-owned team that reverted to "privateer" ownership, together with
1450-468: A new Concorde Agreement committing them to the sport until 2025, including a $ 145 million budget cap for car development to support equal competition and sustainable development. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the sport to adapt to budgetary and logistical limitations. A significant overhaul of the technical regulations intended to be introduced in the 2021 season was pushed back to 2022, with constructors instead using their 2020 chassis for two seasons and
1595-451: A participant that lapped faster than one that qualified in the previous three days to demote the slowest entrant from the starting order. It would take 33rd place or better if the driver went faster than any other Bump Day qualifier. Bumping would be widespread throughout the starting order under this format, rather than being restricted to the slowest vehicles. If the 11 starting slots on one day were not filled, they would be considered for
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#17327808101671740-404: A partnership with Lego , with the first new sets releasing in 2025. The regulations governing Formula One are set to be revised for the 2026 season, with big changes planned to help encourage closer and more competitive racing. Changes include: In November 2024, General Motors reached an agreement to enter Formula 1 in 2026 with its Cadillac brand. A Formula One Grand Prix event spans
1885-470: A press release stating it had been informed it was not entered for the 2010 season, and an FIA press release said the FOTA representatives had walked out of the meeting. On 1 August, it was announced FIA and FOTA had signed a new Concorde Agreement, bringing an end to the crisis and securing the sport's future until 2012. To compensate for the loss of manufacturer teams, four new teams were accepted entry into
2030-530: A previously qualified car would mean that car was demoted from the starting grid, regardless of the day it qualified, and any car other than those that qualified for the Fast Nine Shootout risked not qualifying. The demoted entrant was withdrawn from the field but granted three attempts to return to the grid, time permitting, and the car that demoted it was put at the back of the starting grid. There would only be one day of qualifying if rain disrupted
2175-516: A reason to impose rule changes that otherwise, under the Concorde Agreement, would have had to be agreed upon by all the teams—most notably the changes introduced for 1998 . This so-called 'narrow track' era resulted in cars with smaller rear tyres, a narrower track overall, and the introduction of grooved tyres to reduce mechanical grip. The objective was to reduce cornering speeds and produce racing similar to rainy conditions by enforcing
2320-434: A season (13, since beaten by Max Verstappen ), and most Drivers' Championships (seven, tied with Lewis Hamilton as of 2021). Schumacher's championship streak ended on 25 September 2005, when Renault driver Fernando Alonso became Formula One's youngest champion at that time (until Lewis Hamilton in 2008 and followed by Sebastian Vettel in 2010 ). During 2006, Renault and Alonso won both titles again. Schumacher retired at
2465-458: A single lap, with a minimum speed of 80 mph (130 km/h). From 1920 to 1932 , drivers set the starting order by completing four-lap (10 mi (16 km)) qualifying runs at a set minimum speed between 80 and 95 mph (129 and 153 km/h). From 1933 to 1938 , it was a ten-lap (25 mi (40 km)) qualifying speed format with cars carrying 3 US gal (11 L; 2.5 imp gal) of fuel. The four-lap speed format
2610-442: A smaller contact patch between tyre and track. According to the FIA, this was to reduce cornering speeds in the interest of safety. Results were mixed, as the lack of mechanical grip resulted in the more ingenious designers clawing back the deficit with aerodynamic grip. This resulted in pushing more force onto the tyres through wings and aerodynamic devices, which in turn resulted in less overtaking, as these devices tended to make
2755-565: A team—designing, building, and maintaining cars, pay, transport—at approximately £220,000,000 (or $ 265,000,000), Formula One's financial and political battles are widely reported. The Formula One Group is owned by Liberty Media , which acquired it in 2017 from private-equity firm CVC Capital Partners for £6.4 billion ($ 8 billion). Formula One originated from the World Manufacturers' Championship ( 1925 – 1930 ) and European Drivers' Championship ( 1931 – 1939 ). The formula
2900-427: A token system limiting which parts could be modified introduced. The start of the 2020 season was delayed by several months, and both it and 2021 seasons were subject to several postponements, cancellations, and rescheduling of races due to shifting restrictions on international travel. Many races took place behind closed doors and with only essential personnel present to maintain social distancing . In 2022,
3045-403: A weekend. It typically begins with two free practice sessions on Friday, and one free practice session on Saturday. Additional drivers (commonly known as third drivers ) are allowed to run on Fridays, but only two cars may be used per team, requiring a race driver to give up their seat. A qualifying session is held after the last free practice session. This session determines the starting order for
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#17327808101673190-399: A world championship race. It entered the 1961 British Grand Prix , the only front-engined car to compete that year. During 1962 , Lotus introduced a car with an aluminium-sheet monocoque chassis instead of the traditional space-frame design. This proved to be the greatest technological breakthrough since the introduction of mid-engined cars. In 1968 , sponsorship was introduced to
3335-404: Is a set of rules that all participants' cars must follow. Formula One was a formula agreed upon in 1946 to officially become effective in 1947 . The first Grand Prix in accordance with the new regulations was the 1946 Turin Grand Prix , anticipating the formula's official start. Before World War II , a number of Grand Prix racing organisations made suggestions for a new championship to replace
3480-500: Is allocated one set of the softest tyres for use in Q3. The cars that qualify for Q3 must return them after Q3; the cars that do not qualify for Q3 can use them during the race. As of 2022, all drivers are given a free choice of tyre to use at the start of the Grand Prix, whereas in previous years only the drivers that did not participate in Q3 had free tyre choice for the start of the race. Any penalties that affect grid position are applied at
3625-575: Is closed on Sunday to allow crews to convert the track back to the oval layout, and to allow teams to convert their cars from road course to oval configuration. Practice for the Indy 500 on the oval begins the following day on Monday or Tuesday. On April 6, 2020, the IndyCar Series announced that as part of revisions to the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic , it would add a third event at
3770-400: Is generated by front and rear wings. The cars depend on electronics, aerodynamics , suspension , and tyres . Traction control , launch control , and automatic shifting , and other electronic driving aids were first banned in 1994 . They were briefly reintroduced in 2001 , and have more recently been banned since 2004 and 2008 , respectively. With the average annual cost of running
3915-574: Is the driver that has qualified for the event in pole position , at the inside of the front of the starting grid . Since 1989, the polesitter has received a $ 100,000 cash prize, and they and their car owner receive a small trophy at a ceremony that takes place after qualifying. The award is currently sponsored by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone ; past sponsors include Anheuser-Busch through its Budweiser brand, PPG Industries , MBNA America Bank , WorldPoints Visa Card , AAMCO Transmissions , Peak Performance Motor Oil , and Verizon . Out of
4060-534: Is used at Grands Prix to determine two annual World Championships: one for the drivers , and one for the constructors (the teams). Each driver must hold a valid Super Licence , the highest class of racing licence the FIA issues, and the races must be held on grade one tracks , the highest grade rating the FIA issues for tracks. Formula One cars are the world's fastest regulated road-course racing cars , owing to very high cornering speeds achieved by generating large amounts of aerodynamic downforce , much of which
4205-434: The 1955 Le Mans disaster . The first major technological development in the sport was Bugatti 's introduction of mid-engined cars. Jack Brabham , the world champion in 1959 , 1960 , and 1966 , soon proved the mid-engine's superiority over all other engine positions. By 1961 all teams had switched to mid-engined cars. The Ferguson P99 , a four-wheel drive design, was the last front-engined Formula One car to enter
4350-457: The 2002 Austrian Grand Prix . Other changes included the qualifying format, the point-scoring system, the technical regulations, and rules specifying how long engines and tyres must last. A 'tyre war' between suppliers Michelin and Bridgestone saw lap times fall, although, at the 2005 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis, seven out of ten teams did not race when their Michelin tyres were deemed unsafe for use, leading to Bridgestone becoming
4495-599: The 2008 Indianapolis 500 . Also because of the pandemic , and race cancellations, two races were added as part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge weekend 8 Hours of Indianapolis in October, and the first race meeting of the season open to spectators. The first race of the Harvest GP doubleheader was held on Friday October 2. The race was scheduled for 85 laps, and rookie Rinus VeeKay won
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4640-403: The 2014 Japanese Grand Prix , where Jules Bianchi collided with a recovery vehicle after aquaplaning off the circuit, dying nine months later from his injuries. Since 1994, three track marshals have died, one at the 2000 Italian Grand Prix , one at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix and one at the 2013 Canadian Grand Prix . Since Senna's and Ratzenberger's deaths, the FIA has used safety as
4785-425: The 2017 and 2018 seasons featured a title battle between Mercedes and Ferrari. Mercedes ultimately won the titles with multiple races to spare and continued to dominate in the next two years, eventually winning seven consecutive Drivers' Championships from 2014 to 2020 and eight consecutive Constructors' titles from 2014 to 2021. During this eight-year period between 2014 and 2021, a Mercedes driver won 111 of
4930-603: The Alfa Romeo name, Sauber introduced a title partnership with the online casino Stake.com , resulting in the team's new identity as Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber . Sauber will hold Stake's sponsorship name until the end of 2025, after which it will become the Audi works team for the 2026 season onwards. Scuderia AlphaTauri , Red Bull's junior team, dropped its name and took on sponsors from Hugo Boss and Cash App, becoming Visa Cash App RB, or VCARB for 2024. Formula One announced
5075-568: The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one of the world's premier forms of racing since its inaugural running in 1950 . The word formula in the name refers to the set of rules all participants' cars must follow. A Formula One season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix . Grands Prix take place in multiple countries and continents on either purpose-built circuits or closed roads. A point-system
5220-500: The Grand Prix Manufacturers Association (GPMA), the manufacturers negotiated a larger share of Formula One's commercial profit and a greater say in the running of the sport. In 2008 and 2009, Honda , BMW , and Toyota all withdrew from Formula One racing within a year, blaming the economic recession . This resulted in the end of manufacturer dominance of the sport. The Honda F1 team went through
5365-710: The Imperial Tobacco 's Gold Leaf livery at the 1968 Spanish Grand Prix . Aerodynamic downforce slowly gained importance in car design with the appearance of aerofoils during the 1968 season. The wings were introduced by Lotus's owner Colin Chapman who installed modest front wings and a rear spoiler on his Lotus 49 B at the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix . In the late 1970s, Lotus introduced ground-effect aerodynamics, previously used on Jim Hall 's Chaparral 2J in 1970, that provided enormous downforce and greatly increased cornering speeds. The aerodynamic forces pressing
5510-588: The Indy Pro Series was contested on oval tracks only. All Indy Pro Series races were run as support to IRL/IndyCar Series events. Road course and street course events were added to both series in 2005, and the series was renamed to Indy Lights beginning in 2008. The race was first introduced as the Liberty Challenge (2005–2007) and was held as a support race to the Formula One United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis. The Liberty Challenge
5655-427: The IndyCar Series ' road and street course qualifying procedure was implemented. The format gradually decreased the field to determine the pole position starter. The first six-hour qualifying day filled the top 24 spots. All cars had three tries to set a qualifying speed, and positions 10 through 24 were set after the session. The quickest nine entrants' lap times and speeds were erased, and they all advanced to
5800-531: The Jaguar Racing team, new manufacturer-owned teams entered Formula One for the first time since Alfa Romeo's and Renault's departures in 1985. By 2006, the manufacturer teams—Renault, BMW , Toyota , Honda, and Ferrari—dominated the championship, taking five of the first six places in the Constructors' Championship. The exception was McLaren, which at the time was part-owned by Mercedes-Benz. Through
5945-418: The main straight . This was adjusted to drivers averaging 75 mph (121 km/h) on the whole track in 1912 , while the starting grid was still set by the order IMS received postal entries. A blind draw was conducted in both 1913 and 1914 once drivers reached the 75 mph (121 km/h) minimum speed. The qualifying format was revised in 1915 so that the grid was determined by drivers' speeds over
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6090-523: The yellow flag , the attempt will not count, and the driver must return to the pit lane . If the team did not display a green flag, a vehicle may leave the pit lane as many times as it wanted. Prior to 1974 , drivers raised one of their hands in the air to signal to officials that they wanted to start their qualifying run before the change was made to be in line with the procedure conducted at other race circuits. Teams are allowed to modify certain parts or electronics on their cars in their pit box following
6235-409: The 'sprint shootout'; such a system made its debut at the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix and is set to be used throughout all sprint sessions in place of the traditional second free practice session. Sprint qualifying sessions are run much shorter than traditional qualifying, and each session required teams to fit new tyres - mediums for SQ1 and SQ2, and softs for SQ3 - otherwise they cannot participate in
6380-452: The 108 completed Indianapolis 500s (as of the 2023 race ), the driver that has started in first place has gone on to win the race 21 times. The qualifying speed format has been changed four times since the first race in 1911 . The starting grid for the first race was determined by the date the IMS received entries, and all cars had to reach 75 mph (121 km/h) on a quarter-mile part of
6525-585: The 160 races, with Hamilton winning 81 of these and taking six Drivers' Championships during this period to equal Schumacher's record of seven titles. In 2021 , the Honda-powered Red Bull team began to seriously challenge Mercedes, with Verstappen beating Hamilton to the Drivers' Championship after a season-long battle that saw the pair exchange the championship lead multiple times. This era has seen an increase in car manufacturer presence in
6670-592: The 1960s and 1970s. Promoters held non-championship Formula One events for many years. Due to the increasing cost of competition, the last of these was held in 1983. This era featured teams managed by road-car manufacturers, such as Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Maserati . The first seasons featured prewar cars like Alfa Romeo's 158 , which were front-engined , with narrow tyres and 1.5-litre supercharged or 4.5-litre naturally aspirated engines. The 1952 and 1953 seasons were run to Formula Two regulations, for smaller, less powerful cars, due to concerns over
6815-538: The 2010 season ahead of a much anticipated 'cost-cap'. Entrants included a reborn Team Lotus —led by a Malaysian consortium including Tony Fernandes , the boss of Air Asia ; Hispania Racing —the first Spanish Formula One team; and Virgin Racing — Richard Branson 's entry into the series following a successful partnership with Brawn the year before. They were also joined by the US F1 Team , which planned to run out of
6960-561: The 2010 season, Mercedes-Benz reentered the sport as a manufacturer after it purchased Brawn GP and split with McLaren after 15 seasons with the team. During the 2009 season, Formula One was gripped by the FIA–FOTA dispute . FIA President Max Mosley proposed numerous cost-cutting measures for the next season, including an optional budget cap for the teams; teams electing to take the budget cap would be granted greater technical freedom, adjustable front and rear wings, and an engine not subject to
7105-525: The 90-minute Fast Nine Shootout session, which determined pole position through ninth. They started from the fastest to the slowest, and each driver had to finish at least one more run with the option of another if time allowed. If the Fast Nine Shootout was cancelled due to inclement weather, the starting order would be set by each driver's lap times from the previous session. The following day's session determined places 24 to 33, and bumping commenced when 33 cars qualified. Any qualifying speed quicker than
7250-558: The Brickyard . That race was run from 2020 until 2023 . In 2012, Hulman & Co., then parent company of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway , hired Boston Consulting Group to evaluate its business operations. In their report, one of their suggestions was to explore the possibility of hosting an IndyCar Series race on the road course at Indy. The modern FIA Grade One infield road course had opened in 2000, and
7395-586: The European Championship, but due to the suspension of racing during the conflict, the new International Formula for cars did not become formalised until 1946, to become effective in 1947. The new World Championship was instituted to commence in 1950 . The first world championship race, the 1950 British Grand Prix , took place at Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom on 13 May 1950. Giuseppe Farina , competing for Alfa Romeo , won
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#17327808101677540-494: The F1 governing body announced a major rule and car design change intended to promote closer racing through the use of ground effects , new aerodynamics, larger wheels with low-profile tyres, and redesigned nose and wing regulations. Red Bull emerged as the dominant force after the rule shakeup. The 2022 and 2023 Constructors' and Drivers' Championships were won by Red Bull and Verstappen, with multiple races to spare. In 2023
7685-481: The FIA opened applications for new teams to enter Formula 1 in the then near future. Of the teams that applied, only Andretti were approved by the FIA, with them then being rejected by Formula One Management , though they have launched an appeal. In early 2024, the Formula One landscape underwent a significant change in the sphere of team sponsorships and collaborations. Having competed for five seasons under
7830-405: The Fast Nine Shootout's nine qualifiers went out in reverse order from the previous day's slowest to fastest speeds. Every qualifier on the first day received points, with the fastest driver getting 33 points and the slowest contender receiving one point. The pole sitting earned nine points, while the driver in ninth received one point. In 2016 , this was changed to qualifying's second day, with
7975-682: The GMR Grand Prix (which was moved to July 4 as part of NASCAR 's Brickyard 400 weekend). For 2021 , the GMR Grand Prix moved back to its normal date in early May, with the pandemic-induced meeting held during the NASCAR Verizon 200 weekend continuing. During the NASCAR weekend, the race is an early afternoon Saturday event with the NASCAR Xfinity Shell 150 as the nightcap. Big Machine Spiked Coolers sponsored
8120-486: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Power took the lead as the start, and pulled out to comfortable lead. After the final round of pit stops, Alexander Rossi and Colton Herta were battling for second place. Herta passed Rossi, then set his sights on power. With Power's tires starting to go away, Herta closed the gap to less than half a second. Power held on to win by only 0.8932 seconds in
8265-573: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the schedule known as the IndyCar Harvest GP on the road course. Later, it was expanded to become a doubleheader on October 2–3. Its naming pays tribute to the Harvest Auto Racing Classic , and served as a support event accompanying the inaugural Indianapolis 8 Hour of the Intercontinental GT Challenge circuit. It was the second road course race at IMS for the 2020 season, alongside
8410-451: The Speedway's road course. With the field lined up for a standing start , polesitter Sebastián Saavedra 's car stalled. A huge crash resulted, involving Saavedra, Carlos Muñoz , and Mikhail Aleshin , showering debris along the frontstretch and into the pit area. Late in the race, Simon Pagenaud led Ryan Hunter-Reay . Both drivers were low on fuel, and trying to nurse their cars to the finish. Hélio Castroneves , who had pitted for fuel,
8555-557: The United States as the only non-European-based team in the sport. Financial issues befell the squad before they even made the grid. Despite the entry of these new teams, the proposed cost-cap was repealed and these teams—which did not have the budgets of the midfield and top-order teams—ran around at the back of the field until they collapsed; HRT in 2012, Caterham (formerly Lotus) in 2014 and Manor (formerly Virgin, then Marussia), having survived falling into administration in 2014, at
8700-406: The ages of 22 years, 81 days in 1935 and 49 years, and 175 days in 1946 , respectively. Scott McLaughlin and Gil Andersen set the fastest and slowest four-lap average pole speeds of 234.220 mph (376.941 km/h) in 2024 and 80.93 mph (130.24 km/h) in 1912 , respectively. Speeds were recorded by the front wheels of cars travelling over a wire stretched across the circuit at
8845-867: The ban on driver aids was in name only, as they "proved difficult to police effectively". The teams signed a second Concorde Agreement in 1992 and a third in 1997. On the track, the McLaren and Williams teams dominated the 1980s and 1990s. Brabham was also competitive during the early 1980s, winning two Drivers' Championships with Nelson Piquet . Powered by Porsche , Honda , and Mercedes-Benz , McLaren won 16 championships (seven constructors' and nine drivers') in that period, while Williams used engines from Ford , Honda, and Renault to also win 16 titles (nine constructors' and seven drivers'). The rivalry between racers Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost became F1's central focus during 1988 and continued until Prost retired at
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#17327808101678990-636: The buy-out of the Renault team by Genii Capital investors. But a link with its previous owners still survived, with its car continuing to be powered by a Renault engine until 2014. McLaren also announced that it was to reacquire the shares in its team from Mercedes-Benz (McLaren's partnership with Mercedes was reported to have started to sour with the McLaren Mercedes SLR road car project and tough F1 championships, which included McLaren being found guilty of spying on Ferrari ). Hence, during
9135-403: The cars to the track were up to five times the car's weight. As a result, extremely stiff springs were needed to maintain a constant ride height , leaving the suspension virtually solid. This meant that the drivers depended entirely on the tyres for any small amount of cushioning of the car and driver from irregularities of the road surface. Beginning in the 1970s, Bernie Ecclestone rearranged
9280-668: The caution-free event. The addition of the Grand Prix of Indianapolis established two Indy car races in the Indianapolis area. It was the first time since 1970 that multiple Championship/Indy car races are being held in the greater Indianapolis area. Through 1970, the Indy 500 was accompanied by the Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds , which at the time was a National Championship event. The Hoosier Grand Prix at Indianapolis Raceway Park
9425-457: The circuit and their average speed over all of their laps is used to determine their final starting place. The grid is arranged by 11 rows of three participants each for a total of 33 starting drivers. In 1911, the starting order was determined by the date the IMS received entries, and all cars had to reach 75 mph (121 km/h) on a quarter-mile part of the main straight . This was adjusted to drivers averaging 75 mph (121 km/h) on
9570-514: The completion of their qualifying run. Since 1965 , a blind draw conducted by a selected representative from each team (a driver, family member or team representative) has been held the night before qualifying to decide the qualifying order in order to reduce congestion or misunderstandings. All participants have been guaranteed at least one try to qualify in the pole position round, regardless of weather or other circumstances since 1971 . Every driver does their qualifying run with no other car on
9715-456: The dearth of Formula One cars. When a new Formula One formula for engines limited to 2.5 litres was reinstated for the 1954 world championship, Mercedes-Benz introduced its W196 , which featured things never seen on Formula One cars before, such as desmodromic valves , fuel injection , and enclosed streamlined bodywork. Mercedes drivers won the championship for the next two years, before the team withdrew from all motorsport competitions due to
9860-409: The end of 1993 . Senna died at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix after crashing into a wall on the exit of the notorious curve Tamburello . The FIA worked to improve the sport's safety standards since that weekend, during which Roland Ratzenberger also died in an accident during Saturday qualifying. No driver died of injuries sustained on the track at the wheel of a Formula One car for 20 years until
10005-541: The end of 2006 after 16 years in Formula One, but came out of retirement for the 2010 season, racing for the newly formed Mercedes works team, following the rebrand of Brawn GP . During this period, FIA frequently changed the championship rules with the intention of improving the on-track action and cutting costs. Team orders , legal since the championship started during 1950, were banned during 2002, after several incidents in which teams openly manipulated race results, generating negative publicity, most famously by Ferrari at
10150-439: The end of 2016. A major rule shakeup in 2014 saw the 2.4-litre naturally aspirated V8 engines replaced by 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid power units. This prompted Honda to return to the sport in 2015 as the championship's fourth power unit manufacturer. Mercedes emerged as the dominant force after the rule shakeup, with Lewis Hamilton winning the championship closely followed by his main rival and teammate, Nico Rosberg , with
10295-490: The end of qualifying. Grid penalties can be applied for driving infractions in the previous or current Grand Prix, or for changing a gearbox or engine component. If a car fails scrutineering, the driver will be excluded from qualifying but will be allowed to start the race from the back of the grid at the race stewards' discretion. 2021 saw the trialling of a 'sprint qualifying' race on the Saturday of three race weekends, with
10440-440: The entire distance caution free. Hélio Castroneves led 24 laps, but slipped to fifth at the finish after their tire strategy did not work out favorably. After his final pit stop, Castroneves slipped from second to fifth in the waning laps on the primary black tires, while all the other leaders were on the option red tires. Will Power won the IndyCar Grand Prix for the second year in a row, and third time overall. Power started on
10585-466: The fastest getting first place on the grid, referred to as pole position . From 1996 to 2002, the format was a one-hour shootout. This approach lasted until the end of 2002 before the rules were changed again because the teams were not running in the early part of the session to take advantage of better track conditions later on. Grids were generally limited to 26 cars – if the race had more entries, qualification would also decide which drivers would start
10730-511: The fastest time in Q1 will not be allowed to start the race without permission from the stewards. Otherwise, all drivers proceed to the race albeit in the worst starting positions. This rule does not affect drivers in Q2 or Q3. In Q2, the 15 remaining drivers have 15 minutes to set one of the ten fastest times and proceed to the next period. Finally, Q3 lasts 12 minutes and sees the remaining ten drivers decide
10875-608: The final 18 laps. With two laps to go, race leader Scott Dixon led Pagenaud as they approached the end of the Hulman Boulevard backstretch. Dixon slid a little wide in turn 7, and Pagenaud took the lead in turns 8–9. Pagenaud pulled out to a two-second victory. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the GMR Grand Prix was moved from its traditional May date to July 4 weekend. It became part of the NASCAR Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 weekend, and
11020-455: The first Drivers' World Championship, narrowly defeating his teammate Juan Manuel Fangio . Fangio won the championship in 1951 , 1954 , 1955 , 1956 , and 1957 . This set the record for the most World Championships won by a single driver, a record that stood for 46 years until Michael Schumacher won his sixth championship in 2003. A Constructors' Championship was added in the 1958 season . Stirling Moss , despite being regarded as one of
11165-444: The first and fastest four-lap average speed recorded during the Fast Nine Shootout by driver Hélio Castroneves , which was therefore unbeatable, the rules were changed such that all nine entrants of the session would run in reverse order from slowest to quickest. In 2014 , a two-day format was established. IndyCar officials planned three sessions over two days to increase broadcast viewership, track attendance, and entertainment. On
11310-403: The first day of qualifying to determine positions 13 to 30 through drivers' speeds, there would be two sessions to set the first four rows, including the pole position. The 60-minute Last Chance Qualifying session would occur if there were more than 33 entries and all were guaranteed of one or multiple tries until the session ended to decide positions 31 to 33 and the car that does not qualify for
11455-441: The first day of qualifying, with the rest of the grid order set over the next three days. Since 2010 , drivers have competed in a knockout-style qualifying system and select qualifiers are awarded season points towards the IndyCar Series championship. The top twelve cars from the first day proceed to the second round the following day, and the top six drivers from that round advance to the third and final round, which determines
11600-402: The first day, the top 33 entries completed the provisional starting grid, and each car had at least one qualifying attempt. The fastest nine entrants qualified for the following day's Fast Nine Shootout. If more than 33 vehicles were entered, a driver who was not among the top 33 qualifiers did not advance to the second day's session. The pit lane was divided into two distinct lanes. The first
11745-561: The first day. All 33 starting positions would be set and the Fast Nine Shootout would not happen. In contrast to previous IndyCar Series races, where only the polesitter received one point, all 33 qualifying drivers earned championship points . The pole winner earned 15 points, with second and third receiving 13 and 12, respectively. Those who qualified on the second and third rows scored between 11 and 6 points in descending order. Each driver in positions 10 to 24 gained four points, while drivers in positions 25 to 33 got three points. Following
11890-573: The first event. On April 29, 2022, the Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. was named sponsor of the summer race. On November 1, 2023, Sonsio Vehicle Protection was named the sponsor of the May race. Notes The Indy NXT Indianapolis Grand Prix is a pair of twin races in the Indy NXT series, held on the combined road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway . For the first three years of its existence,
12035-489: The first ten grid positions. At the beginning of the 2016 Formula 1 season, the FIA introduced a new qualifying format, whereby drivers were knocked out every 90 seconds after a certain amount of time had passed in each session. The aim was to mix up grid positions for the race, but due to unpopularity, the FIA reverted to the above qualifying format for the Chinese GP, after running the format for only two races. Each car
12180-434: The front of the pack. After the green came back out, Dixon chased down leader Graham Rahal and took the lead on lap 48. Despite Rahal only making two pit stops - compared to three by Dixon - Dixon was able to cruise over the final twenty laps, and he won by 19.9469 seconds. It was Dixon's first victory (after three second places) in the GMR Grand Prix, and Dixon's first victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since winning
12325-415: The garage area. Warm-up laps were limited to three after World War II before dropping to two in 1982 . Unlike other IndyCar events, each driver completes a four-lap qualifying run with no other cars on track across two days, and their average speed over each lap is used to determine their final starting position. A total of 67 drivers have won the pole position as of the 2023 race . Rick Mears holds
12470-508: The greatest Formula One drivers in the 1950s and 1960s, never won the Formula One championship. Between 1955 and 1961, Moss finished second in the championship four times and third the other three times. Fangio won 24 of the 52 races he entered—still the record for the highest Formula One winning percentage by an individual driver. National championships existed in South Africa and the UK in
12615-439: The incident on lap 1. Simon Pagenaud became the first two-time winner of the Angie's List Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Pagenaud started from the pole position and led 57 of the 82 laps. After a caution came out on lap 38, Conor Daly came to the lead for a total of 14 laps while the field was cycling through different pit stop strategies. On the final series of pit stops, Pagenaud executed a very fast in-lap and out-lap, including
12760-475: The intention of testing the new approach to qualifying. The traditional qualifying would determine the starting order for the sprint, and the result of the sprint would then determine the start order for the Grand Prix. The system returned for the 2022 season, now titled the 'sprint'. From 2023, sprint races no longer impacted the start order for the main race, which would be determined by traditional qualifying. Sprints would have their own qualifying session, titled
12905-404: The lead and dominated the race, leading 65 of 82 laps. Power became the fifth different winner in as many races for 2015. For the second race in a row, Graham Rahal had a spirited run to finish second. After the final round of pit stops, Rahal was able to close within two seconds of the lead, but was unable to catch Power in the final few laps. The races was slowed for only one yellow to clean up
13050-413: The leader. Newgarden led the final 25 laps to victory, and was able to close the gap in the championship hunt as points leader Scott Dixon managed only a ninth-place result. The second race of the Harvest GP doubleheader was held on Saturday October 3. The race was scheduled for 75 laps (down from 85 laps on Friday). Will Power stated from the pole position and led all 75 laps, scoring his fourth win on
13195-565: The management of Formula One's commercial rights; he is widely credited with transforming the sport into the multibillion-dollar business it now is. When Ecclestone bought the Brabham team during 1971, he gained a seat on the Formula One Constructors' Association , and in 1978, he became its president. Previously, the circuit owners controlled the income of the teams and negotiated with each individually; Ecclestone persuaded
13340-461: The month of May activities at the Speedway. The race is on the Saturday that was once used for Indy 500 pole day (1952–1997 & 2001–2009), and in other years the opening day of practice (1998–2000 & 2010–2013). Saturday was selected for the race due to the fact that the Sunday two weeks before the Indy 500 is usually Mother's Day (a day usually avoided by motorsports). In addition, the track
13485-509: The most powerful open-wheel circuit racing cars ever. To reduce engine power output and thus speeds, the FIA limited fuel tank capacity in 1984 , and boost pressures in 1988 , before banning turbocharged engines completely in 1989 . The development of electronic driver aids began in the 1980s. Lotus began to develop a system of active suspension , which first appeared during 1983 on the Lotus 92 . By 1987, this system had been perfected and
13630-509: The next day. Rain could not end a session early if all 33 spots were filled. If the field was not complete, the IRL and IMS decided the time teams would have for the next available day. All cars, backup or primary, were given three attempts each day or twelve over all four days to qualify for the race. Any driver who set the same qualifying time and speed as a participant on the first day would be placed based on where they qualified on that day. If
13775-424: The number of tries it had left for that day. Unlike previous formats, no car had to be withdrawn from the race. If a car was withdrawn from the event, the rest of the field would gain one position. This system, according to IMS historian Donald Davidson and author Rick Shaffer, offered the best drivers more chances to claim the pole position. In 2010 , a new "made-for-TV" two-day shootout format based loosely on
13920-454: The pit crews time to clear themselves and their equipment from the grid for the race start. List of Indianapolis 500 pole-sitters The Indianapolis 500 (also called the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race) is an annual American open-wheel car race held on American Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), in Speedway, Indiana . It was first held in 1911 after
14065-439: The pole position and led 56 of the 85 laps. Power chased down leader Robert Wickens to take the lead on lap 51 with a daring pass on the outside of turn one. When a full-course caution came out on lap 56 due to a spin by Josef Newgarden , all the leaders headed to the pits for their final pit stops. Power edged Wickens to the blend line by about two feet, to be the lead out of the pits. Powers held off Scott Dixon and Wickens for
14210-522: The pole position, while the first day qualifiers were followed by those from the previous two or three days through their set qualifying speed, respectively. In 1996 and 1997 , the top 25 cars in the Indy Racing League (IRL) points standings were guaranteed a starting position in the race with the final eight spots open for all other entries. In order to boost interest, increase action, and attract more spectators, IMS officials changed
14355-454: The pole position. Colton Herta grabbed the lead on the first lap from the third starting position. VeeKay was able to take the lead on lap 7, then led the next 15 laps. Later in the race, Herta was back in the lead with Josef Newgarden chasing him down. Going into turn one on lap 60, Newgarden made a decisive pass, and Herta locked up the tires and overshot the turn. The leaders then made their final pits stops, with Newgarden coming back out as
14500-399: The pole sitter collecting 42 points down to the 33rd-placed qualifier earning one point. The qualifying points format was significantly revised in 2018 , with the pole sitter receiving nine points, down to one point for the ninth-placed qualifier. Following debate when driver James Hinchcliffe failed to qualify in 2018, a modified version of the two-day format intended to be more exciting
14645-440: The qualifying format to a four-session format known as "11-11-11" in 2005 . On the first three days, 11 cars qualified, and bumping occurred on each day once position 11 was taken and within the allocated positions. Positions 11 to pole position were taken on the first day, positions 12 to 22 on the second, and positions 23 to 33 on the third. If the third day completed the starting order, the fourth and final day (Bump Day) permitted
14790-426: The race on Sunday. Each driver may use no more than thirteen sets of dry-weather tyres, four sets of intermediate tyres, and three sets of wet-weather tyres during a race weekend. For much of the sport's history, qualifying sessions differed little from practice sessions; drivers would have one or more sessions in which to set their fastest time, with the grid order determined by each driver's best single lap, with
14935-416: The race. Those in 13th to 33rd had their starting positions guaranteed if just 33 cars were entered. If a driver makes multiple tries, all of their other times are deleted, and the top non-qualified entry takes 33rd place. Participants got an extra cool-down lap after each attempt to reduce the effect of heat soak and to make further tries until there were 10 minutes left. The top 12 qualifiers compete in
15080-461: The race. During the early 1990s, the number of entries was so high that the worst-performing teams had to enter a pre-qualifying session, with the fastest cars allowed through to the main qualifying session. The qualifying format began to change in the early 2000s, with the FIA experimenting with limiting the number of laps, determining the aggregate time over two sessions, and allowing each driver only one qualifying lap. The current qualifying system
15225-457: The record for the most Indianapolis 500 pole positions, having qualified first on six occasions. Scott Dixon is second with five pole positions and Hélio Castroneves , A. J. Foyt , and Rex Mays are third with four poles. Eleven drivers have qualified in the pole position for two consecutive years, but no one has won in three years in a row. Mays and Cliff Bergere are the youngest and oldest Indianapolis 500 pole winners, qualifying on pole at
15370-654: The road course layout, sticking only to the oval circuit for the Indianapolis 500 , but their support series, the Indy Lights , had raced there four times. Occasionally Indy cars used the Indianapolis road course as a test facility, since many teams are headquartered in the Indianapolis area. Dan Wheldon notably tested the DW12 chassis at the course in September 2011. In September 2013, an IndyCar feasibility test
15515-629: The road course were scrapped during construction. It was not until 1998 that plans for a road course layout at the facility were revived, when the United States Grand Prix was announced. In 1990, a street circuit in downtown Indianapolis was proposed, with a goal of attracting a Formula One or CART Indy car race. The layout encompassed roads near the Hoosier Dome and Indianapolis Zoo . The plan never materialized. The 2020 season marked four races were held in Indianapolis, with
15660-401: The second round of qualifying, with the fastest six advancing to the ensuing Fast Six Shootout to determine pole position to sixth place based on their final performance. The top six slowest qualifiers start from places seven through twelve according to their set time. Each driver receives one attempt in each session, which are run in reverse order from slowest to fastest. Beginning in 2023 ,
15805-459: The session. The race begins with a warm-up lap, after which the cars assemble on the starting grid in the order they qualified. This lap is often referred to as the formation lap, as the cars lap in formation with no overtaking (although a driver who makes a mistake may regain lost ground). The warm-up lap allows drivers to check the condition of the track and their car, gives the tyres a chance to warm up to increase traction and grip, and also gives
15950-406: The sole tyre supplier to Formula One for the 2007 season by default. On 20 December 2007 Bridgestone signed a contract that officially made it the exclusive tyre supplier for the next three seasons. During 2006, Max Mosley outlined a 'green' future for Formula One, in which efficient use of energy would be an important factor. Starting in 2000, with Ford's purchase of Stewart Grand Prix to form
16095-487: The sport . Team Gunston became the first team to run cigarette sponsorship on its Brabham cars, which privately entered in orange, brown and gold colours of Gunston cigarettes in the 1968 South African Grand Prix on 1 January 1968. Five months later, the first works team , Lotus, initially using the British racing green , followed this example when it entered its cars painted in the red, gold, and white colours of
16240-663: The sport. After Honda's return as an engine manufacturer in 2015, Renault came back as a team in 2016 after buying back the Lotus F1 team. In 2018, Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo became Red Bull and Sauber's title sponsors, respectively. Sauber was rebranded as Alfa Romeo Racing for the 2019 season, while Racing Point part-owner Lawrence Stroll bought a stake in Aston Martin to rebrand the Racing Point team as Aston Martin for 2021. In August 2020, all ten F1 teams signed
16385-485: The start/finish line an inch from the ground to activate the mechanism to record a lap time on a paper card before switching to using an electric eye in 1946. Since 1990, lap times and speeds have been recorded by electronic scoring devices or timing beacon wires embedded in certain places of the track (such as the start/finish line) and are activated by wireless transponders with a unique digital identification carried inside each car. They send digital timing information to
16530-416: The starting order by completing four-lap (10 mi (16 km)) qualifying runs at a set minimum speed between 80 and 95 mph (129 and 153 km/h). From 1933 to 1938 , it was a ten-lap (25 mi (40 km)) qualifying speed format with cars carrying 3 US gal (11 L; 2.5 imp gal) of fuel. The four-lap speed format was reinstated in 1939 , and the minimum speed requirement
16675-450: The starting order was based on the previous day's results, and the Fast Nine Shootout to set pole position through ninth ran in reverse order from the slowest to the quickest car from the previous day. The Last Row Shootout was extended to 75 minutes in 2020 to give each competitor three qualifying chances. IndyCar modified the format again in 2022 to more closely resemble its qualifying procedure on road and street circuits. Following
16820-536: The team winning 16 out of the 19 races that season. The team continued this form in the next two seasons, again winning 16 races in 2015 before taking a record 19 wins in 2016 , with Hamilton claiming the title in the former year and Rosberg winning it in the latter by five points. The 2016 season also saw a new team, Haas , join the grid, while Max Verstappen became the youngest-ever race winner at age 18 in Spain . After revised aerodynamic regulations were introduced,
16965-452: The teams reached an agreement to prevent a breakaway series. It was agreed teams must cut spending to the level of the early 1990s within two years; exact figures were not specified, and Max Mosley agreed he would not stand for reelection to the FIA presidency in October. Following further disagreements, after Mosley suggested he would stand for reelection, FOTA made it clear that breakaway plans were still being pursued. On 8 July, FOTA issued
17110-600: The teams to "hunt as a pack" through FOCA. He offered Formula One to circuit owners as a package they could take or leave. In return for the package, almost all that was required was to surrender trackside advertising. The formation of the Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA) in 1979 set off the FISA–FOCA war , during which FISA and its president Jean-Marie Balestre argued repeatedly with FOCA over television revenues and technical regulations. The Guardian said that Ecclestone and Max Mosley "used [FOCA] to wage
17255-672: The technological advances of the 1990s, the cost of competing in Formula One increased dramatically, thus increasing financial burdens. This, combined with the dominance of four teams (largely funded by big car manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz), caused the poorer independent teams to struggle not only to remain competitive but to stay in business. This effectively forced several teams to withdraw. Michael Schumacher and Ferrari won five consecutive Drivers' Championships (2000–2004) and six consecutive Constructors' Championships (1999–2004). Schumacher set many new records, including those for Grand Prix wins (91, since beaten by Lewis Hamilton ), wins in
17400-611: The three road course events –one during the NASCAR and two during the Intercontinental GT Challenge meeting– as a result of pandemic-related postponements. For 2021, the two races are held during the Month of May and the NASCAR weekend. Formula One This is an accepted version of this page Formula One , commonly known as Formula 1 or F1 , is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by
17545-408: The tighter, sharper, corners (utilized by the motorcycles) were bypassed and replaced with a single 90-degree right turn leading to the pit entry. The new course distance measures 2.439 miles (3.925 km). From 2014 to 2019, and again since 2021, the IndyCar Grand Prix has been scheduled for the Saturday two weeks before the Indianapolis 500 . The race effectively serves as an "opening weekend" for
17690-423: The time and speed are the slowest overall, the participant who set the time and speed on the second day will be the first to fail to qualify. If a vehicle failed to qualify on any qualifying day, it was allowed to return to the qualifying line and attempt to re-qualify based on how many attempts it had left. Entrants could still withdraw a qualified car if necessary, although it could still attempt to qualify based on
17835-403: The top six starting places, including pole position. Since 1965 , a blind draw is held the night before to determine the qualifying order, and every car has been guaranteed at least one attempt to qualify in the pole position round, regardless if weather or other circumstances interfered since 1971 . Previously, the qualifying order was set by teams presenting their cars in a queue beginning at
17980-478: The track as well. Drivers from McLaren , Williams , Renault (formerly Benetton ), and Ferrari , dubbed the "Big Four", won every World Championship from 1984 to 2008 . The teams won every Constructors' Championship from 1979 to 2008 , as well as placing themselves as the top four teams in the Constructors' Championship in every season between 1989 and 1997 , and winning every race but one (the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix ) between 1988 and 1997 . Due to
18125-581: The track's owners had experimented with several other long-distances auto races over the previous two years. The race was not held in 1917 or 1918 and again from 1942 to 1945 because of war. It was administered by the American Automobile Association between 1911 and 1955, then by the United States Auto Club from 1956 to 1997, and finally by the Indy Racing League / IndyCar beginning in 1998. The polesitter
18270-417: The track. In October 2013, a construction project began to reconfigure the road course layout in order to the make the circuit more competitive, better for fans, and more suited for Indy cars . The entire road course portion was repaved, while several segments were modified. Corner one of road course was changed to a 90-degree turn with a raised curb on the inside. The road course portion inside oval turn four
18415-457: The victory. Power's victory was the milestone 200th Indy car victory for Penske Racing , and two weeks later, Power would sweep the month by winning the Indianapolis 500 . In wet and rainy conditions, Simon Pagenaud won the IndyCar Grand Prix for the third time, and matching Will Power 's accomplishment from a year earlier, swept the month of May by winning the Indianapolis 500 two weeks later. Pagenaud charged from sixth place to first over
18560-425: The wake behind the car turbulent or 'dirty'. This prevented other cars from following closely due to their dependence on 'clean' air to make the car stick to the track. The grooved tyres also had the unfortunate side effect of initially being of a harder compound to be able to hold the grooved tread blocks, which resulted in spectacular accidents in times of aerodynamic grip failure, as the harder compound could not grip
18705-424: The whole track in 1912 , while the starting grid was still set by the order IMS received postal entries. A blind draw was conducted in both 1913 and 1914 once drivers reached the 75 mph (121 km/h) minimum speed. The qualifying format was revised in 1915 so that the grid was determined by drivers' one-lap speeds, with a minimum speed of 80 mph (130 km/h). From 1920 to 1932 , participants set
18850-525: Was adopted in the 2006 season. Known as "knock-out" qualifying, it is split into three periods, known as Q1, Q2, and Q3. In each period, drivers run qualifying laps to attempt to advance to the next period, with the slowest drivers being "knocked out" of qualification (but not necessarily the race) at the end of the period and their grid positions set within the rearmost five based on their best lap times. Drivers are allowed as many laps as they wish within each period. After each period, all times are reset, and only
18995-421: Was called the "Priority Lane" for non-qualified vehicles or ones that had their previous qualifying lap times withdrawn, while the second was for already qualified drivers who desired another attempt. The withdrawal of the time was unnecessary. All of the previous day's laps were erased the next day, and those in positions 10 to 33 had to make another attempt to set the starting order. To set the top nine positions,
19140-455: Was charging through the field, and looking to run down the leaders. Pagenaud held off the challenge, and crossed the finish line just ahead of Hunter-Reay and Castroneves. Pagenaud's car ran out of fuel on the cool down lap. Series rookie Jack Hawksworth , who earned his first front-row start, led a field-high 31 laps and finished seventh. Will Power won the pole position for the second annual Angie's List Grand Prix of Indianapolis, continuing
19285-442: Was conducted on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. The test yielded positive results. Speculation immediately began to grow about a possible race for 2014, either as a May "doubleheader" event with the Indy 500, or a stand-alone race in the fall. The inaugural race was announced on October 1, 2013, and was scheduled for early May. The decision was made to utilize the course in a clockwise layout, and to re-work certain parts of
19430-722: Was done in order to reduce confusion with the previous Formula One grand prix race that used to be held there, and to emphasize to fans that the race was part of the American-based IndyCar Series. As of 2024, the race is known as the Sonsio Grand Prix for sponsorship reasons. A second road course race, the Gallagher Grand Prix was held during the summer as a support race for the NASCAR Cup Series Verizon 200 at
19575-545: Was driven to victory by Ayrton Senna in the Monaco Grand Prix that year. In the early 1990s, other teams followed suit and semi-automatic gearboxes and traction control were a natural progression. The FIA, due to complaints that technology was determining races' outcomes more than driver skill, banned many such aids for the 1994 season. This resulted in cars that previously depended on electronic aids becoming very "twitchy" and difficult to drive. Observers felt
19720-506: Was dropped after 1963 . The draw is conducted on a "first-come, first-served" basis, with the fastest 33 drivers starting the race regardless of when they qualified. Previously, the qualifying order was set by teams presenting their cars in a queue that began in the garage area. The quickest qualifier on the first day or the top qualifier following a single trip through the original timing line took pole position, whichever came last. All cars were given three attempts to qualify and its speed
19865-404: Was held as a USAC Champ Car race from 1965 to 1970. When the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was under construction in 1909, the original plans included a combined road course layout. This would have allowed for both oval track and road course events. According to historian Donald Davidson , some initial grading appears to have been completed for what would have been a 5-mile layout, but plans for
20010-574: Was initially used for the United States Grand Prix from 2000 to 2007. Later, it was used for Moto GP , and Grand Am . The layout for the infield road course was originally designed in 1992 by Kevin Forbes during the reconstruction of the Brickyard Crossing golf course. It had already gone through some various improvements, most notably in 2008 when the "Snake Pit" segment was added in the infield of oval turn one. Indy cars had never raced on
20155-462: Was made official after completing four-laps (10 mi (16 km)) and cannot re-qualify. The driver could requalify in another vehicle if it did not qualify or withdrew. After 33 cars qualified, the slowest qualifier, regardless of position in the provisional starting order, could be demoted by a faster car. All successful qualifiers were assured participation in the race based on their qualifying time and speed. The first day's quickest qualifier took
20300-529: Was part of a doubleheader on Saturday with the Pennzoil 150 of the Xfinity Series . Scott Dixon dominated the race, running away from the field after a full-course caution shuffled the standings on lap 36. Dixon had made his second pit stop under green on lap 33, but three laps later Oliver Askew crashed hard in turn 14. The leaders subsequently pitted under the caution, allowing Dixon to cycle up to
20445-558: Was put on hiatus. An Indy Lights (now Indy NXT) race on the Indianapolis road course was revived in 2014 as part of the new IndyCar Grand Prix weekend. However, the original Liberty Challenge name was dropped. In addition, the race was now being contested on the newer 2.439-mile road course layout used by the IndyCar Series. The month of May at Indianapolis opened with the Inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis on
20590-403: Was reinstated in 1939 , and the minimum speed requirement was dropped after 1963 . Qualifying is held on the Saturday (Bump Day) and Sunday (Pole Day) of the weekend preceding the event, whereas qualifying was formerly held over two weekends. There have been a number of different qualifying systems in the past; earlier, from 2005 to 2009 , pole position through eleventh was determined on
20735-581: Was revised to bypass two slow turns, and effectively lengthened the Hulman Boulevard backstretch. At the end of the Hulman Blvd. backstretch, a new 90-degree left corner leads to a new series of faster turns behind the Museum . Rather than follow original corner 13 (oval turn 1) like the U.S. Grand Prix did, the IndyCar circuit mimics the motorcycle course, and utilized the "Snake Pit" infield complex. Two of
20880-611: Was the first Indy Pro Series race which was not run as support to an IndyCar Series weekend. This move allowed the Indy Pro Series drivers valuable exposure in front of the Formula One teams and fans. Some drivers, such as Graham Rahal , ran this race as a one-off, while running full-time in other series (such as the Atlantics ). The U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis ended after 2007, and the Liberty Challenge event
21025-561: Was used from 2019 . Every driver had one qualifying run to claim a top 30 starting position on the first day, but more attempts could be made time and weather permitting until the track was closed. Positions 10 to 30 were claimed and did not re-qualify the following day. The second day included a one-hour Last Row Shootout for the slowest three qualifiers, as well as the Fast Nine Shootout. Each car in both sessions received one try, and their prior day's times were erased. The Last Row Shootout's order to set places 31 to 33 and demote any one from
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