The 2026 Indianapolis 500: A Comprehensive Preview

EDDIE KALEGI: STAFF WRITER

Pictured left to right, the front row starters for Sunday's Indianapolis 500. David Malukas (left) 3rd, Alexander Rossi (center) 2nd, and Alex Palou (right) 1st. [Photo Credit: INDYCAR on X, May 18, 2026]

On Sunday afternoon in Indiana, 33 cars will hit the track for the most storied race in motorsports, the Indianapolis 500. Below is everything YOU need to know ahead of the 110th installment of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

The Man on Top

Four-time NTT INDYCAR Series champion Alex Palou finally broke through at the speedway and on an oval last May for his maiden Indianapolis 500 victory, and is in prime position to follow the footsteps of Josef Newgarden from two years prior, attempting to hoist the Borg-Warner Trophy and sip the milk in the victory circle in back-to-back seasons. 

The Spaniard didn’t look like his typically dominant self in the early stages of qualifying last Sunday, just narrowly advancing into the “Fast 12” and “Fast 6” with subpar lap times, as drivers like Felix Rosenqvist and David Malukas stole the show. 

But counting out the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda is risky business these days, and Palou proved why yet again. After Alexander Rossi had seemingly the run of his life in the final round of qualifying, Palou still managed to top it, definitively. Alex Palou became the first driver to qualify on pole for the Indianapolis 500 the year after winning it since Helio Castroneves in 2010, and is undoubtedly the favorite to capture the glory on Sunday.

Palou’s Primary Competition

Josef Newgarden may have qualified back in 23rd, but that is deceiving. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner might very well be Alex Palou’s greatest threat. Team Penske’s trio is racing with a collective chip on their shoulders, one year removed from massive penalties derailing their Month of May, leading to the temporary ousting of then competition director Tim Cindric. Even in spite of that, Josef Newgarden drove from the back of the grid to 6th place in just over 100 laps before a mechanical failure. The American knows his way around the speedway, and will certainly be in the mix.

So too will be the two drivers joining Palou on the front row when the green flag drops. Alexander Rossi is now a decade removed from his Indianapolis 500 win as a rookie back in 2016, but has always been a challenger. He has shown speed all month, but the complicated aspect for Rossi is his health. The driver of the #20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet was hospitalized Monday after getting airborne in a wicked crash during practice, suffering hand and foot injuries. Rossi has been cleared to race, but using crutches and driving a backup car, it will be hard to replicate the speed he showed last weekend. 

David Malukas is in a far more favorable position. “Little Dave” has been an annual threat at the speedway in recent years, and now has Penske power on his side. Malukas finished 3rd last year, and could easily do that or better this time around.

Prior to a less than stellar final run in qualifying, Felix Rosenqvist looked like the man to beat. The Meyer-Shank Racing driver has also been a perennial contender at the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” but has been unable to close the deal. Given his strong start to the 2026 season as a whole, including nearly beating Palou at Barber Motorsports Park back in March, look out for Felix.

Pato O’Ward was also forced to a backup car after Rossi’s aforementioned practice wreck, but the most popular driver on the grid will still be very much in the conversation. A bridesmaid on multiple occasions before, who has led at the white flag twice, O’Ward would love to follow the footsteps of Newgarden and Palou as superstars who finally earned their long-awaited Indianapolis moment.

Lastly, don’t forget about Santino Ferrucci. The A.J. Foyt Racing driver regularly ruffles feathers on track, but the results speak for themselves. In seven prior Indianapolis 500 starts, Ferrucci has never finished worse than 10th, despite racing for four different teams during that time.

The Old Guard

With PREMA Racing’s absence from the 2026 grid and just 25 full-time drivers in INDYCAR this season, the Indianapolis 500 presents unique opportunities for some legends of the sport and the speedway to return for one-off races every May, and this year’s installment is no different.

Three former Borg-Warner Trophy winners (Helio Castroneves, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and Takuma Sato) are in Sunday’s race, with the latter two showing no rust last year, both finding themselves in the lead in the second half of the race. Castroneves makes his 26th consecutive Indianapolis 500 start, and looks to become the first driver in history to win the race five times.

Keep an eye on Ed Carpenter as well. His team has shown pace on ovals ever since INDYCAR made the switch to the hybrid engine midway through 2024, and Ed is a three-time pole winner who has been close, but has never closed the deal on race day. 

Other Fun Storylines

Katherine Legge becomes the sixth driver and first woman to attempt “the Double,” racing the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Legge’s INDYCAR effort is with HMD Motorsports, but with A.J. Foyt Racing support, as she looks to join Tony Stewart as the only drivers to ever complete all 1,100 miles in one day.

Along with Josef Newgarden, Andretti Global will also be attempting to rally from poor qualifying efforts. A team that boasts two former Indianapolis 500 winners (Will Power and Marcus Ericsson), as well as budding star Kyle Kirkwood, should obviously be in the conversation, but all three drivers will roll off from the back half of the grid. Work needs to be done, but their attempted rally on race day will be a fun watch.

Finally, three rookies look to tackle the unforgiving speedway for the first time, including the son of a racing legend. Mick Schumacher, whose father Michael is one of the most successful drivers in Formula One history, looks to make some noise in his first Indianapolis 500 start.

How to Watch

For the third consecutive year, Mother Nature has proven she isn’t much of an INDYCAR fan. The weather has, no pun intended, rained on the sport’s parade throughout the month of May, postponing multiple practice sessions. Sunday’s forecast shows precipitation throughout the day, so race fans will have to hope that there’s a window of opportunity in the afternoon.

In any event, coverage of the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 will begin Sunday at 10 a.m. ET on FOX. Stay tuned for a post-race recap on our website, and reaction and analysis on this week’s episode of Motorsports Today!