Indy 500 Open Test: All you need to know

Written by Dan Jones

Credit: Joe Skibinski

Although it is not quite May yet, the festivities in the build-up to the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 will formally commence on April 23rd, as all 34 drivers who will attempt to qualify for May's race will hit the iconic Indianapolis oval for two days of testing. It presents a first opportunity on-track to start their preparations for the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing,' which will take place on May 25th.

The schedule

Drivers who have not driven on an oval in an Indy car since the last Indianapolis 500, known as 'veterans,' will be first to hit the track on Wednesday morning at 10:05 ET as a refresher. Marco Andretti, Kyle Larson, Callum Ilott, Devlin DeFrancesco and Takuma Sato are the veterans who will be required to run. Hélio Castroneves and Ryan Hunter-Reay tested at the Speedway in October, hence aren't required to run another refresher session during the test.

The rookies will be next on track at 12:00 ET to run their required Rookie Orientation Program (ROP), the official test that allows drivers to compete in May's race. Nolan Siegel had to re-attempt his in October after failing to qualify for the event last year. Louis Foster, Jacob Abel and Robert Shwartzman will be those required to complete ROP on Wednesday.

14:00 ET will signify the first time that all 34 drivers will be allowed on track at the same time until the chequered flag at 18:00. All the 27 full-time drivers will be at the test, alongside Andretti, Larson, Sato, Hunter-Reay, Castroneves, Jack Harvey and Ed Carpenter.

New for this year's open test, 9.30 until 12:00 on Thursday will signify increased engine levels for all drivers, known as the 'boost,' which has previously only been a factor on 'Fast Friday' during Indianapolis testing, just before drivers would attempt their qualifying runs on Saturday and Sunday.

This open test, as well as this year's Indianapolis 500, will mark the first with the hybrid unit in use, with both Honda and Chevrolet requesting that drivers have a further opportunity to understand the hybrid system with the boost available, rather than going into qualifying near-blind come May 18th.

14:00 until 17:00 on Thursday will be standard practice again, with the boost reduced back to the usual levels, and another opportunity for all 34 drivers to continue to prepare their race cars.

How to watch the Indy 500 Open Test

Credit: James Black

In a first for the series, the entire test will be streamed on IndyCar's YouTube channel, with Allen Bestwick and James Hinchcliffe in the booth, with Georgia Henneberry making her first appearance for FOX Sports in pitlane. IndyCar will also provide live timing on IndyCar.com and on the app.

Any Indianapolis-based fans have the opportunity to spectate on the Southeast Vista grandstands and the Turn 2 viewing mounds during the test.

What to look out for

Credit: James Black

This Open Test holds extra significance being the first with the hybrid package in use. The series has had the hybrid installed since July last year, and has done several hybrid tests at Indianapolis, but many drivers have not tested at the Speedway with the hybrid. Each team (apart from PREMA) tested in October last year with the hybrid, however, only one entry per team was permitted.

The added weight of the system has significantly changed the balance of the cars in comparison to what drivers would have experienced last season, meaning this test is essential to gain an understanding of what the balance is with the package installed.

It will also give us an insight into how cars can run in 'the pack' with the added weight, and an early understanding into how plausible overtaking will be. Overtaking in recent years at Indianapolis has proved somewhat more difficult, especially since the installation of the aeroscreen in 2020.

The hybrid has been criticised for making overtaking more difficult toward the tail end of 2024, and particularly in the opening three races of 2025, and Indianapolis will mark the biggest assessment of the effectiveness of the hybrid as a package.

We will also see Larson in an Indy car for the first time in 2025, as he prepares to re-attempt the 'Double,' the feat of competing in both the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR's Charlotte 600 on the same day, totalling 1100 miles of racing. Larson's attempts were cut short last year after rain delayed the start at Indianapolis, and when he had arrived at Charlotte, the rain had arrived with him.

Larson's no-show at Charlotte was controversial last year, after NASCAR had to award him a waiver to maintain his playoff eligibility, so that he could compete for a NASCAR Cup Series title. In the off-season, NASCAR made it abundantly clear that Larson was not going to miss Charlotte again by amending the playoff waiver policy.

Although Larson would still be able to complete in the playoffs, a non-medical situation would force a driver to forfeit all their playoff points and make a championship run near-impossible.

It means that NASCAR will be the priority for Larson this year, whatever the weather may hold, and in response to this, IndyCar released their own rule change last week for replacement drivers.

IndyCar stated that a replacement driver will only considered if the primary driver is participating in another marquee event with the drivers' principal racing series on the day of the Indianapolis 500.

An IndyCar-approved veteran driver must than complete the refresher program during the first day of official practice. The veteran driver must use tyres from the original entrants pool of 32, with minimal setup changes allowed during the refresher. Additional laps after the refresher are not permitted.

If a driver change is required, the original qualifying position of the car will be forfeited.

These circumstances will only apply to Larson's No.17 entry, and if this situation was to arise, it would be probably that Arrow McLaren team principal, Tony Kanaan, would come out of retirement to step in for Larson if necessary. Kanaan will not compete in a refresher this week.

After a year of waiting, May is just around the corner, and the build-up to the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 will formally commence, as cars hit the oval for two days of practice, just 32 days away from 'the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.'