Helio Castroneves will continue his drive for five this May, while Takuma Sato also will be back to attempt to join an exclusive club.
Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian (MSR) announced March 17 that Castroneves, a four-time winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” will aim for an unprecedented fifth “500” victory in the team’s No. 06 Cleveland-Cliffs Honda entry in May. Later that day, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) announced two-time “500” winner Sato will drive the team’s No. 75 AMADA Honda in May.
The 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Castroneves is one of four drivers with four victories in the world’s most prestigious auto race, joining A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears.
“The drive for five is still alive!” Castroneves said on X. “We’re going to be ready for the Indy 500. Let’s get ready together.”
Brazilian Castroneves (photo, top), who turns 51 on May 10, earned his first three “500” victories with Team Penske, in 2001, 2002 and 2009. He earned a spot in the pantheon of the race’s legends with his fourth victory in 2021 with MSR, of which he is now a part-owner.
He also has won four “500” poles, in 2003, 2007, 2009 and 2010.
Castroneves will attempt to make his 26th start in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Only Foyt (35), Mario Andretti (29) and Unser (27) have made more starts in the race’s history. Castroneves has 17 top-10 finishes in his 25 starts and has earned a race-record $15,911,549 of “500” prize money.
Sato, 49, is trying to become just the 11th driver to win the “500” three or more times. He won in 2017 with Andretti Global and in 2020 with RLL. Former Formula One driver Sato will attempt to make his 17th Indianapolis 500 start this May. Six of his last eight starts have come with RLL, with primary sponsorship from AMADA AMERICA – a leading global machine tool manufacturer and supplier in the sheet metal industry – the last two years.
Japanese driver Sato earned his best career Indy 500 start – second – and led a race-high 51 laps last year before finishing ninth.
“The moment the checkered flag fell at the 2025 Indy 500, our preparation for the 110th running had already begun,” Sato said. “I’m incredibly excited to continue this journey with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing as we take on unfinished business. A sincere thank you to Bobby (Rahal), Mike (Lanigan), David (Letterman), and everyone at RLL for their belief and commitment. It’s an honor to once again represent AMADA as the primary partner, alongside Panasonic Automotive Systems, Niterra, Deloitte Tohmatsu, NAC, Honda, HRC and all of our loyal sponsors who make this challenge possible.
“Last year, we showed tremendous speed and strong potential. Now, we return even more focused, more prepared and more determined. The Indy 500 is always special, but this year carries extra excitement. I can’t wait to reunite with the team, see all the familiar faces, and start building momentum toward May.”
Practice for the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge starts Tuesday, May 12. Visit IMS.com to buy tickets or for more information.
