Schmidt Peterson Motorsports have ruled out the possibility of fielding Juan Pablo Montoya in the Indianapolis 500 during the 2018 IndyCar season.
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports have officially ruled out the possibility of former Formula One, NASCAR and IndyCar driver Juan Pablo Montoya, 42, driving for the team in the 2018 Indianapolis 500, making the possibility of him landing a ride in the race for the fifth straight year and sixth time overall more unlikely.
Montoya drove in the Indianapolis 500 back in 2000 and won it in his rookie season driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. He did not return to the race until 2014 when he made an IndyCar comeback with Team Penske. He finished in 5th place in 2014 before winning the race the following year after rallying from early contact and damage.
Montoya drove in the race in 2016 and finished in 33rd place after being the first driver to crash. In 2017, Josef Newgarden replaced him as a full-time driver at Team Penske. However, Montoya still drove in the Indianapolis 500 for the team and walked away with a 6th place finish.
More from IndyCar
- IndyCar: Two teams with no drivers confirmed for 2024
- IndyCar: Chip Ganassi Racing news hints Alex Palou announcement
- IndyCar: ‘Addition by subtraction’ could pay off in a big way
- Team Penske should make a bold driver signing for 2024
- IndyCar: 5 teams that still have open seats for 2024
But in 2018, Team Penske, which has been a four-car full-time team in each of the last three seasons, will operate as a three-car full-time team without Helio Castroneves as a full-time driver. However, Castroneves will drive for the team in the Indianapolis 500, and he will be the team’s fourth and final driver in the race, thus leaving Montoya without a ride with the team.
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, which has operated as a two-car full-time team and is set to do so again in the 2018 season, became a viable option for Montoya in the Indianapolis 500, especially after the team’s deal with Didier Calmels to field 39-year-old Tristan Gommendy fell through.
Gommendy was set to drive the #77 Honda as a teammate to full-time drivers James Hinchcliffe, 31, who drives the #5 Honda, and Robert Wickens, 28, a rookie who is set to drive the #7 Honda. The deal fell through largely due to the fact that Calmels is a convicted murderer, and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports was criticized for dealing with him. Critics claimed that the deal proved racing is all about the money no matter where that money comes from.
Next: Top 10 IndyCar drivers of all-time
With Team Penske and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports now officially out of the running in terms of teams that could field Juan Pablo Montoya in the 2018 Indianapolis 500, will Montoya actually end up landing a ride in the 102nd running of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”, or will he be a spectator for the event?