The Indianapolis 500, one of the most important motorsports events in history, celebrates its 109th running this Sunday, May 25, at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana, USA. In this article, I explain what you need to know to watch the race on the famous Indianapolis Oval, which promises to be the best on the 2025 IndyCar Series calendar.
Shwartzmann, 25, is only the second rookie since 1951 to claim the Indianapolis 500 pole position, after reaching an average speed of 373.79 km/h (233.16 mph) in a Fast-6 race in which Mexican Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren) finished third and Spaniard Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi) had to settle for sixth.
“I can’t believe it. I closed my eyes and said, ‘This is a dream, it can’t be true.’ The car was fantastic. Coming here for the first time, I never imagined it would be, it’s incredible. Thanks to the fans who cheered me on,” said the Israeli after learning of his pole position.
He will start from pole position, ahead of Japan’s Takuma Sato (Rahal) and O’Ward, who returns to Indianapolis after a near-glorious finish to last year’s edition.
Palou, who had been the fastest on Saturday, had to settle for sixth place after an average speed of 371.417 km/h.
The Spaniard, a three-time IndyCar champion, has dominated the season so far, winning four of the five races. He is looking for what would be his first Indy500 victory.
It's time for the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500! This weekend will be the busiest of the year for motorsports fans with the Indy 500, Monaco Grand Prix and Coca-Cola 600 all racing on the same day. | Photo by indianapolismotorspeedway.com
How to watch the Indy 500 LIVE on TV and Online in the US?
If you’re in the United States, you’ll have several options to watch the Indianapolis 500, including FS1, FS2, FOX Deportes (in Spanish), and the FOX Sports app. It will also be available on INDYCAR Radio Network stations, SiriusXM (channel 218), and the official INDYCAR app.
What time does the Indy 500 start? Here are the race times for the Indianapolis 500
9:45am PDT – Pacific Daylight Time
10:45am MDT – Mountain Daylight Time
10:45am CST – Mexico City, Mexico
11:45am COT – Bogota, Colombia
11:45am PET – Lima, Peru
11:45am CDT – Central Daylight Time
12:45pm EDT – Eastern Daylight Time
12:45pm AEST – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
12:45pm AEST - San Juan, Puerto Rico
12:45pm CLST – Santiago, Chile
1:45pm ART – Buenos Aires, Argentina
1:45pm BRT – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
5:45pm BST – Londres, United Kingdom
5:45pm AST – Abuya, Nigeria
6:45pm CEST – Central Europe
6:45pm CEST – Madrid, Spain
6:45pm CEST – Roma, Italy
6:45pm CEST – Berlin, Germany
6:45pm CEST – Paris, France
6:45pm SAST – South Africa
7:45pm AST – Riad, Saudi Arabia
7:45pm MSK – Moscow, Russia
8:45pm GST – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
9:45pm PKT – Islamabad, Pakistan
10:15pm IST – New Delhi, India
11:45pm WIB – Jakarta, Indonesia
11:45pm ICT – Bangkok, Thailand
12:45am PHT – Manila, Philippines (Monday, May 26)
12:45am CST – Beijing, China (Monday, May 26)
1:45am JST – Tokyo, Japan (Monday, May 26)
1:45am KST – Seoul, South Korea (Monday, May 26)
2:45am AEST – Australia (Monday, May 26)
4:45am NZST – New Zealand (Monday, May 26)
The Indy 500, often called the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing," will likely dominate headlines and TVs across the United States. This year's editon is officially sold out too. | Photo by indianapolismotorspeedway.com
Indianapolis 500 Starting Grid
1. Robert Shwartzman (#83, Prema Racing)
2. Takuma Sato (#75, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing)