09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
Who will win the IndyCar Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis? Schedule, TV coverage, expert prediction, streaming
The IndyCar Series comes to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend for an 85-lap race on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course that includes the front straightaway of the oval track. Drivers will be allowed 200 seconds of push-to-pass, in increments of up to 20 seconds.
Alex Palou maintains a commanding points lead through four races with three wins and a runner-up finish. Christian Lundgaard has three podium finishes and stands second in points.
Alex Palou won for the second consecutive year, beating Will Power by 6.6 seconds.
From Nathan Brown, IndyStar
Pole position winner: Colton Herta has been a bit of an under-the-radar storyline this year, largely due to race-day issues. Herta hasn't qualified worse than 4th through four races. Though qualifying hasn't been Andretti Global's strong suit recently at the IMS road course, Herta and the No. 26 team make it five straight Fast Six appearances, and narrowly edge Alex Palou, Christian Lundgaard, Pato O'Ward, Felix Rosenqvist and Scott McLaughlin.
Race winner: Alex Palou. Boring pick? You bet. But until proven otherwise, I'm going to stop picking against the two-time defending series champ who has won three of the first four races – two in truly dominating fashion. Palou has also won the past two IMS road course races, and Chip Ganassi Racing has won the last three.
Palou's winning margin: We're adding a category because "race winner" seems too easy. Let's go with 4 seconds. Odds are we finally get our first caution since Lap 1 at St. Pete, and so what could have been a larger victory is a bit smaller, though plenty comfortable.
Something you might not expect: A yellow flag. We see our first caution in 339 laps, and it comes on Lap 1 as the mid-pack weaves through the opening chicane and can't stay side-by-side cleanly before reaching the backstretch.
(All times ET; all IndyCar sessions are on IndyCar Live, IndyCar Radio and Sirius XM Channel 218)
9:30-10:50 a.m.: IndyCar practice, F2
11:05-11:55 a.m.: Indy NXT practice, F2
1:10-2 p.m.: IndyCar practice, F2
2:30-3 p.m.: Indy NXT qualifying, F2
4:30-6 p.m.: IndyCar qualifying, FS1
7-8 p.m.: Indy NXT race, FS1
11:30 a.m.-noon: IndyCar warm up, FS1
1-2 p.m.: Indy NXT race, FS1
4:30-7 p.m.: IndyCar race, Fox
General admission tickets are $20 for Friday and $45 for Saturday; reserved seats start at $55. Get Indianapolis Grand Prix tickets here.
TV: Coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, May 10, 2025, on Fox. Green flag is scheduled for 4:52 p.m. Will Buxton is the play-by-play voice, with analysts James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell. Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters.
Fox Sports app.
Watch free with a Fubo trial
IndyCar Nation is on SiriusXM Channel 218, IndyCar Live and the IndyCar Radio Network (check affiliates for each race)
Each car must run two sets of primary and two sets of alternate tires during the race, running at least two laps on each set (and at least one of the laps for each lap starting under green). This is new to IndyCar for this race. Each team will have five sets of primary tires and two sets of alternate tires for the weekend.
Friday: Sunny skies and highs in the upper 60s.
Saturday: Sunny skies and highs in the low 70s.
The 2025 IndyCar Series schedule includes 17 races, all televised on Fox. (Times are ET; %-downtown street course, &-road course, *-oval)
March 2, St. Petersburg, Florida % (Winner: Alex Palou)
March 23, Thermal, California & (Winner: Alex Palou)
April 13, Long Beach, California % (Winner: Kyle Kirkwood)
May 4, Birmingham, Alabama & (Winner: Alex Palou)
May 10, Indianapolis &, 4:30 p.m.
May 25, Indianapolis 500 *, 12:45 p.m.
June 1, Detroit %, 12:30 p.m.
June 15, St. Louis *, 3 p.m.
June 22, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin &, 2:30 p.m.
July 6, Lexington, Ohio &, 2 p.m.
July 12, Newton, Iowa *, 5 p.m.
July 13, Newton, Iowa *, 2 p.m.
July 20, Toronto %, 2 p.m.
July 27, Monterey, California &, 3 p.m.
Aug. 10, Portland &, 3 p.m.
Aug. 24, Milwaukee *, 2 p.m.
Aug. 31, Nashville *, 2:30 p.m.
(Team and drivers; *-Indianapolis 500 only)
(Through four of 17 races)
2024: Alex Palou (Indy GP)
2023: Alex Palou (Indy GP), Scott Dixon (Gallagher GP)
2022: Colton Herta (Indy GP), Alexander Rossi (Gallagher GP)
2021: Rinus Veekay (Indy GP), Will Power (Gallagher GP)
2020: Scott Dixon (Indy GP), Josef Newgarden (Harvest GP1), Will Power (Harvest GP2)
2019: Simon Pagenaud (Indy GP)
2018: Will Power (Indy GP)
2017: Will Power (Indy GP)
2016: Simon Pagenaud (Indy GP)
2015: Will Power (Indy GP)
