Monaco GP podium finishers rule out Indy 500: ‘not my thing’
Top Monaco Grand Prix Finishers Rule Out Indy 500 Participation
MONACO – Following an intense battle for supremacy at the Monaco Grand Prix, the top three finishers – Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, and Oscar Piastri – have emphatically ruled out testing their skills at the iconic Indianapolis 500. While all three racers expressed deep respect for the legendary event, none could see themselves taking on the high-stakes oval race in the future.
For Ferrari’s local hero Charles Leclerc, the idea of competing in the Indy 500 holds little appeal. Leclerc’s Monaco Grand Prix win last year secured him one leg of motorsport’s unofficial “Triple Crown,” which also includes the Indy 500 and Le Mans 24 Hours. However, the Monegasque driver admitted on Sunday that the IndyCar event is a box unlikely to be ticked in his career.
"I don’t think I will ever do it," Leclerc shared after the race. "I think it's a different level of craziness. I'm happy in F1, I love F1, and I'm fully focused on that, first and foremost."
Leclerc has, however, set his sights on the other leg of the famed Triple Crown: Le Mans. The Scuderia Ferrari star revealed he dreams of competing with his younger brother, Arthur, at the grueling 24-hour endurance race.
"When this [my F1 career] ends, another thing I want to tick is doing Le Mans with my brother," Leclerc explained. "So that’s probably the next big goal for me outside of F1. Indy 500? I’m not sure. But I have a lot of respect for these guys, and I’ll definitely be following."
Fresh off his career-defining win at Monaco, McLaren driver Lando Norris took a similarly hard stance against ever participating in the Indy 500. Despite McLaren’s growing involvement in IndyCar, Norris made it abundantly clear he had no interest in diversifying his racing portfolio to include an oval race.
"Congrats to Robert Shwartzman for pole – very impressive! I was his teammate back in 2015 or 2016 in Formula Renault, so to see him achieve something like that is pretty cool," Norris said. "But it’s something I’ll never do – I can say that right now. I’m not doing it. I just have no interest in doing it. It’s not my thing. It’s not what I enjoy."
The young Brit elaborated further, adding a touch of humor:
"I have a lot of respect for those guys. There are some incredibly talented drivers in America, and I’m sure some of them could do really well in Formula 1. But, yeah, I like turning right as well, so that’s the main thing."
Piastri Joins in Declining Oval Racing
Third-place finisher Oscar Piastri joined the chorus of no-interest while also entertaining the idea of attempting Le Mans someday. However, when it came to IndyCar’s crown jewel, the Australian rookie was definitive in his disinterest.
"I’ll probably be watching on my couch at home, unless I get an invite," Piastri joked, referencing McLaren’s ongoing efforts in the Indy 500. When invited by Norris and Leclerc to join them in viewing the race, Piastri quipped, "But, yeah, probably on my couch. And I’ll keep my answer short because I want to go watch!"
Leclerc humorously replied:
"I won’t be on my couch. Thanks for the invite. I think I’ll still be in a meeting. We are very late with Ferrari. We always leave late!"
Alonso: An Indy 500 Trailblazer
The latest comments by F1’s rising stars make Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso the outlier on the current grid. The veteran Spaniard famously contested the Indy 500 in 2017, where he stunned the motorsport world by leading on debut before retiring due to a blown Honda engine. Alonso also claimed victory at Le Mans in 2018 and is a two-time Monaco GP winner (2006 and 2007).
However, Alonso found his own limits with the event after failing to qualify in his 2019 attempt with McLaren. His feat nonetheless remains a unique symbol of the bridge between Formula 1 and the American oval racing scene.
Current F1 Stars Remain Focused on Grand Prix Racing
While former Formula 1 drivers Takuma Sato, Alexander Rossi, and Marcus Ericsson have all found glory at the Indy 500 in recent years, the newer generation of F1 stars appear content keeping their focus on Grand Prix racing. Their shared reluctance underscores the high risks and singular nature of oval racing – a discipline that, though celebrated around the world, remains a pursuit of specialists in the eyes of many F1 aces.
For now, the Indy 500 will remain a spectacle they’ll admire from the sidelines, as Formula 1’s brightest stars continue to seek glory on circuits where right-hand turns are just as common as the left.
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