Sato Earned His Top Indy 500 Starting Spot of Second Place for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
109th Running of the Indianapolis 500
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
QUALIFYING NOTES / QUOTES – May 18, 2025

SATO EARNED HIS TOP INDIANAPOLIS 500 STARTING SPOT OF SECOND PLACE FOR THE GREATEST SPECTACLE IN RACING

1)         Robert Schwartzman   4-lap avg. speed of 232.790 mph
2)         Takuma Sato                 4-lap avg. speed of 232.478 mph        

TAKUMA SATO, No. 75 AMADA Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “We made it! We’re back on the front row. I’m very, very happy for the team and very proud of everyone. The AMADA car was perfect. I was able to nail it with everything we had. Unfortunately, it was this close to Robert Schwartzman. Huge congrats to him. I’m very proud of HRC and Honda and proud to put them on the front row. I think we finally got the near perfect balance, got all of the pieces together, so huge credit to the team. I’m looking forward to the Indy 500.”

• FAST FACTS: The two-time Indy 500 champion started 10th for his 15th Indy 500 in 2024 and sixth with the team and finished 14th. He competed for RLL full time in 2012 and from 2018-2021 and won the Indy 500 with RLL in 2020 from a third place, front row start. He has earned six NTT INDYCAR SERIES wins, four of which have come with RLL, including the team’s second Indy 500 win in 2020. Prior to that, Sato competed in oval races with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2023. Other Indy 500 highlights with RLL include the 2012 where he was alongside eventual winner Franchitti in Turn 1 on the final lap but his race ended due to contact after he was squeezed down on the apron and lost control of his race car. He also finished third for RLL in 2019 and was a contender in the final laps… Has SIX INDYCAR SERIES wins (2013 – Long Beach street course, 2017 – Indy 500 oval, 2018 – Portland road, 2019 – Barber road, Gateway oval; 2020 Indy 500 ) and 10 poles (2011 Iowa oval, Edmonton street; 2013 Houston Race 1 street; 2014 St. Pete street, Detroit Race 2 street; 2017 Detroit Race 2, Pocono oval; 2019 Barber road, Texas oval; 2020 St. Louis – Race 2).

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