Indy 500: Ranking all 34 drivers, from No. 34 to No. 1
By Asher Fair
Indy 500 rankings: No. 12 – Felix Rosenqvist
When everything cycled out on the final pit stops last year, it was Felix Rosenqvist who looked to be in position to win the Indy 500 before he was overtaken by fellow Swede and eventual race winner Marcus Ericsson.
Rosenqvist, who has shown great speed on superspeedways as of late with two poles at Texas Motor Speedway, could very well be in need of a big result this Memorial Day Weekend, given his contract situation with Arrow McLaren, and the best way to quiet the critics would be cross the yard of bricks in P1 — this time on lap 200.
Indy 500 rankings: No. 11 – Simon Pagenaud
Meyer Shank Racing weren’t as strong in 2022 as they were in 2021, when Helio Castroneves won his fourth Indy 500 in what was the team’s first ever race with two cars. But in his first Indy 500 start with the team, Simon Pagenaud, the 2019 winner, still managed to finish in eighth place.
As a whole, Pagenaud has flown under the radar since leaving Team Penske following the 2021 season. But there is no reason he can’t be a factor in this year’s Indy 500 if Meyer Shank Racing bring anything even remotely close to what they brought a year ago. They’ll need to overcome a rough start to the 2023 season to do it, however.
Indy 500 rankings: No. 10 – Colton Herta
For as fast as Colton Herta is, he hasn’t been much of a factor on ovals since starting his IndyCar career. He did lead the Indy 500 in 2021 after starting on the front row, but he faded after that. His best finish in four starts is only an eighth place effort in 2020.
His ability to lead laps at Texas Motor Speedway earlier his year, however, could be an indicator that he and Andretti Autosport have what it takes to finally be a force again at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.