Looking ahead to qualifying and the race itself is two-time Indy 500 winner, and former Formula 1 driver, Takuma Sato.
Sato set fastest time in Day 1 of Indy 500 practice and believes his Dale Coyne Racing-Honda team did strong work in the off-season.
Dale Coyne’s team has a history of fast cars around Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but Sato is the first driver to have arrived at the team having already scored triumphs in the Memorial Day Weekend classic and therefore having knowledge of what it takes to succeed there.
Sato was second fastest in the test here in April, and on Tuesday he ended the day on top, with a last-minute effort that eclipsed the speed that Scott Dixon set earlier in the session, and the speed he set in the more favorable conditions in the morning.
Although Sato was quick to acknowledge that his time, like Dixon’s, was set with the aid of a considerable tow from a pack of cars, he was nonetheless confident that his Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing-Honda entry was swift.
For our Podcast, Takuma went through his early (traumatic!) experiences at the Speedway, the very different victories in 2017 and 2020, and his prospects for May 29.
He is joined on the podcast by Motorsport Network's global editor Charles Bradley and U.S. editor David Malsher-Lopez. Martyn Lee is your host.
Click on the Play icon below to listen in...
