Defending Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves started his record-breaking quest with the perfect car. Less than a month after the four-time race winner slammed his No. 6 Honda into the wall during an Indianapolis Motor Speedway test, the Brazilian gave a stamp of approval to his rebuilt car. “It's perfect,” Castroneves said as he blew a kiss into the air.
The stage now belongs to Colton Herta, the young American driver who through both patience and persistence has forced his way into international conversations. Herta effortlessly navigated his way through three days embedded with McLaren at Formula One's Miami Grand Prix, where he got an invitation-only closeup of his upcoming opportunities. Now it's time for the main event, the Indianapolis 500, a race that really could fast-track Herta's hopes of landing an F1 seat.
Formula one championship leader Charles Leclerc again crashed in hometown Monaco, this time in a historic Ferrari. Leclerc was driving a 1974 Ferrari once piloted by three-time F1 champion Niki Lauda in a demonstration run Sunday at the 2022 Monaco Historic Grand Prix. The contact damaged the car’s rear wing and Leclerc, a Monaco resident, seemed to intimate he had a problem with the pedals.