Indy 500: Scuderia Corsa commit to returning in 2019

Scuderia Corsa have committed to returning to the Indy 500 in 2019 after fielding an entry for Oriol Servia in the race this past Sunday.

After fielding an entry for the 43-year-old Oriol Servia in the 2018 Indianapolis 500 this past Sunday through a joint effort with full-time IndyCar team Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Scuderia Corsa have committed to returning to the Indy 500 in the 2019 IndyCar season.

This news comes as rumors swirl in regard to Scuderia Corsa potentially joining IndyCar as a full-time team in the 2019 season, as it was announced in the middle of April that they had already begun laying the groundwork to do so well before the 2018 Indy 500 took place.

Here is what Scuderia Corsa team owner Giacomo Mattioli had to say about the team returning to the Indy 500 in 2019, according to Racer.com.

"“We’re committing to the Indy 500 next year, and we’re trying to put a [full-season] program together for next year. We take our time, we study, we observe, and it was a very good learning experience. We’ll do things different next time around. Definitely back for the Indy 500, and more races, we will see.”"

In addition to committing to returning to IndyCar for the 2019 Indy 500, Mattioli’s quote will also likely cause the mounting speculation in regard to Scuderia Corsa joining IndyCar full-time in the 2019 season to continue.

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In this year’s Indy 500, Scuderia Corsa fielded the #64 Honda driven by Oriol Servia, who had previously competed in 10 Indy 500 races. He qualified in 26th place for the race on the second day of qualifying after nearly failing to make the 33-car field on the first.

Servia led the race with 12 laps to go when A.J. Foyt Enterprises Tony Kanaan spun and hit the inside wall in turn two. The Spaniard needed to save fuel to make it to the end of the race without pitting, but the caution flag period that was caused by Kanaan’s incident, which ended with seven laps to go, did not give him enough time to do so. On the restart, he was passed by Andretti Autosport’s Stefan Wilson, who also needed to save fuel to make it to the end of the race without pitting.

Servia then fell behind Meyer Shank Racing’s Jack Harvey, who was in the same position as Wilson, and eventual race winner Will Power, who did not need to worry about saving fuel. With just over four laps to go, Wilson and Harvey had to pit for fuel. Servia, however, did not. He stayed in second place behind Power. However, with just over three laps to go, Servia did end up pitting for fuel. He finished the race in 17th place.

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With Scuderia Corsa set to return to the Indy 500 in 2019, do you believe that they will end up being a full-time IndyCar team in the 2019 season as well?