The reigning IndyCar champion and 2008 Indy 500 winner produced a stunning run in the pole position shootout last Sunday to produce an average of 231.685mph over his four laps to edge out Andretti Autosport’s Herta by only 0.03mph.
Rinus VeeKay and Ed Carpenter both put in eye-catching qualifying performances to grab third and fourth respectively for the Ed Carpenter Racing squad, pushing 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan into fifth place for the Chip Ganassi Racing squad.
Kanaan’s team-mate Alex Palou completed the second row in sixth place, with two former winners in Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014) and Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002 and 2009) taking a spot on the third row in seventh and eighth respectively.
Former Formula 1 driver Marcus Ericsson completed the fast nine contenders and qualified in ninth place for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Photo by: Barry Cantrell / Motorsport Images
Full starting grid for the 2021 Indy 500:
When is the Indy 500?
Date: Sunday 30th May 2021
Start time: 4:00pm BST, 11:00am local time
The 2021 Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which also acts as the sixth round of the 2021 IndyCar season, gets underway at 11am local time (4pm BST) on Sunday 30th May.
How can I watch the Indy 500?
In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports has live and exclusive broadcasting rights for IndyCar, with the Indy 500 shown live on Sky Sports F1. Pre-race coverage will be starting at 3:45pm BST ahead of the race start at 4:00pm BST.
Sky will broadcast the entire race live including the initial post-race reaction.
· Channel: Sky Sports F1
· Date: Sunday 30th May 2021
· Start time: 3:45pm BST
When can I watch the highlights?
In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports is also broadcasting highlights of the Indy 500 at 9:00pm BST on Tuesday 1st June on Sky Sports F1. The full programme will run for one hour, covering the pre-race, the race highlights and the initial post-race reaction.
The highlights will also be repeated during the week on the Sky Sports F1 channel.
· Channel: Sky Sports F1
· Date: Tuesday 1st June 2021
· Start time: 9:00pm BST
Weather forecast for the Indy 500
Current weather forecasts predict sunny conditions for the start of the Indy 500, with cloud cover building as the race progresses, but a low possibility of rain on race day. The temperature is expected to be 16 degrees Celsius for the start of the race and rising to 20 degrees Celsius by the finish.
How many laps is the Indy 500?
The race is scheduled to complete 200 laps of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, covering a total race distance of 500 miles.
Will there be fans at the 2021 Indy 500?
Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s Indy 500 spectator attendance allowance is currently capped at 40% of the regular full capacity – estimated to be 135,000 fans on race day – after consultation with state and local health officials and approval from the Marion County Public Health Department.
All fans will need to adhere to strict health and safety protocols at the track, including face coverings worn, temperature checks on entry to the venue and social distancing measures.