Romain Grosjean secures a spot in the 107th running of the historic Indianapolis 500 race
Over the weekend, Romain Grosjean took part in the weekend dedicated to qualifying for this year’s Indy 500, an iconic race in the motorsport world that has been held each year since 1911 with only a few exceptions. The facility it is held at, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, was built in 1909 and boasts a now-iconic oval track that is 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) long with each of its four turns holding nine-degree banking.
Qualifying for this event specifically required the 34 drivers attempting to secure entry into the race to complete a four-lap time trial in which the average speed of their four laps determined which position they’ll find themselves in for the main event, with the top 12 drivers from day one moving on to a second day in which the bid for pole position is well and truly on. On race day, the grid will line up in 10 rows of three from pole position to the 33rd of 33 cars. Given the race only accommodates 33 entrants, it means that one driver misses out on participating as a result of their qualifying speed.
Day one of the qualifying weekend began on Saturday, May 20th, with the drivers laying down their laps in a random order drawn prior to the session. The Andretti Autosport driver went out 29th for his attempt and locked in a four-lap average speed of 231.997 miles per hour (373.363 kilometers per hour). After each driver had their opportunity, Grosjean’s qualifying result was determined as P19 which meant that the Swiss-French driver is set to start on the seventh row of the grid come race day. The 500-mile race is one of patience and endurance and will surely provide plenty of opportunity for Grosjean to carve his way forward through the field.
Grosjean hits the track for the 107th Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval on 28 May 2023.