The Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 stand as two titans of global motorsports. For many years in the 21st century, they have shared the calendar on the very same Sunday, creating a unique holiday for racing enthusiasts worldwide.
This scheduling means fans in the U.S. can enjoy the Formula 1 spectacle on the narrow streets of Monte Carlo over their morning coffee before transitioning to firing up the barbecue for the start of the action at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
While the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean prevents any single driver from attempting the formidable “Double Duty” of competing in both prestigious events on the same day, the question arises: what about a team?
Since 2020, McLaren has maintained a presence in both the F1 and IndyCar championships. Though operating as distinct entities based in Woking, England, and Indianapolis respectively, they are unified under the leadership of McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown. Brown, a 53-year-old Californian, is frequently seen spearheading the team`s efforts in both paddocks.
For the past three years, Brown has faced a significant decision: which iconic race to attend on this packed Sunday? That dilemma is set to change. An agreement tied to Monaco`s continued presence on the F1 calendar through 2031 includes a move of the principality`s race date to June. This past Sunday marked the final instance for the foreseeable future where the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix would coincide.
To commemorate this farewell to a revered day in racing, ESPN deployed writers to both Monte Carlo and Indianapolis to spend extensive time with the one organization intimately involved in both events. This is the narrative of McLaren`s undertaking to compete in two of the most historic and emblematic races in motorsports, held simultaneously on the final Sunday of May.
Bringing the F1 Approach to Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS — It was a scene of intense work, punctuated by discreet glances at television screens, all set against a backdrop of papaya orange.
At 7:45 a.m. local time in Indianapolis on Sunday, the starting lights were activating approximately 4,556 miles away on the French Riviera. As the Monaco Grand Prix commenced, the garages of the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team had already been bustling with activity for nearly two hours.
“We are definitely keeping an eye on things over there, where the boss is,” commented Tony Kanaan, Arrow McLaren team principal and the senior figure present in Indy while Brown was in Monte Carlo. “But only to a certain extent. There`s a lot of work to do here. So, the TVs are on showing it.”
The 2013 Indy 500 champion gestured from the team`s bays in Indianapolis Motor Speedway`s legendary Gasoline Alley towards a nearby office door, marked simply: “ARROW MCLAREN INDYCAR TEAM. TEAM MEMBERS ONLY!”
Inside, a constant stream of individuals clad in the team`s papaya colors – including sponsor representatives, crew members diligently working on their Chevy-powered Dallaras, and Indy legend Johnny Rutherford, a two-time Indy 500 winner for McLaren in the 1970s – sought coffee, a brief respite, and updates from the Monaco race.
“We are always aware of what our F1 colleagues are doing, always,” stated Arrow McLaren driver Pato O`Ward on Sunday morning, hours before his sixth Indy 500 start. “What they do and what we do are very different, but it`s still auto racing. You see where they were not so long ago, and now look where they are.”
Screens around the garage showed images of Lando Norris completing his first mandatory pit stop in Monaco.
“They are leading the way in their situation, and we are still striving to be the best,” O`Ward added. “We will get there. And they want us to get there.”
Indeed, it seems there is a shared ambition. Kanaan, amidst handshakes with fans and fielding questions from his crew, was quick to commend the collaborative efforts fostered by the McLaren Technology Center in Woking.
“This is a 24-hour organization. While we sleep here, they work there, and vice versa,” he explained. “The engineers work across F1 and Indy. If there`s a car on a track anywhere, race control at McLaren and those engineers are watching and monitoring. Always.”
This was particularly true on this day, with the two most significant open-wheel races in the world running back-to-back.
“It`s pretty amazing to be a part of it, especially for someone like me because I love all of it,” shared Kyle Larson, who stepped out of his motor coach as Max Verstappen led Norris in Monaco. Larson had been loaned a McLaren road car for use around Indianapolis during his second attempt at the demanding Indy 500/Coca-Cola 600 doubleheader. “But what I`ve learned being around these guys with this team, they love it all, too. Racing is racing. And we all either want to be racing or we`re watching racing. If something from F1 can make the IndyCar team better or vice versa, Zak is going to make it happen.”
This level of cooperation hasn`t always existed. For decades, requesting F1 coverage in the IMS media center in the morning or NASCAR in the evening was met with reluctance. Even on this Sunday, finding the Monaco broadcast required some effort. The primary monitors in the Arrow McLaren garages displayed the Speedway`s pre-race show. As the F1 race reached its halfway point, the team`s pit stalls were being prepared, and only a few screens had Norris`s race visible in a smaller window.
However, inside the dedicated office and the large, modern McLaren hospitality center overlooking Turn 1, images from Monaco were readily available.
“There used to be no crossover, not at all,” recalled Rutherford, who drove for McLaren`s IndyCar effort from 1973 onwards. The only time McLaren`s F1 and IndyCar teams won on the same day was 49 years ago, when Rutherford won in Trenton, New Jersey, and James Hunt claimed the Spanish Grand Prix.
“They were Formula 1. We were Indy,” Rutherford added. “What exactly were we going to do for each other?”
This separation existed despite team founder Bruce McLaren`s own diverse career, which included F1 wins, Can-Am victories, and a Le Mans triumph. Under Zak Brown, that spirit of cross-series involvement – watching, collaborating, sharing knowledge – is back. Just last month, McLaren nearly replicated that 1976 double win when Oscar Piastri and Norris finished 1-2 in China, while O`Ward and Christian Lundgaard secured 2nd and 3rd starting from the front row at Thermal, California.
“People laughed when I said we just wanted to copy what they are doing in F1, but I was serious,” Lundgaard explained Sunday, standing near the office turned Monaco viewing room. That room, along with the hospitality center, had recently erupted in cheers celebrating Norris`s victory.
Now, individuals from both operations were gathering around Lundgaard, O`Ward, and rookie Nolan Siegel, still buzzing from Monaco and energized for Indy. It was 11:15 a.m. in Indiana, 5:15 p.m. in Monte Carlo. Fans, sponsors, family, and crew members applauded as they joined their drivers marching from the garage, under the iconic Gasoline Alley sign, and onto the front stretch, where Larson was already waiting.
McLaren had completed its task in Monaco. It was time to focus on the work ahead in Indianapolis. — Ryan McGee
Celebrating Victory in Monaco
MONACO — Zak Brown was initially undecided on Saturday morning about whether to fly to Indianapolis that evening. McLaren`s CEO`s dilemma was resolved the moment Lando Norris secured McLaren`s first pole position at the circuit since 2007.
“I think Zak`s just glad he doesn`t have to go to Indy,” Norris quipped to the media shortly after, when asked about Brown`s jubilant reaction in parc fermé after qualifying.
Walking through the paddock just after the celebrations with Norris, Brown confirmed his decision to remain in Monte Carlo.
“Yeah, I just decided now,” Brown told ESPN, walking hand-in-hand with his wife Tracy towards McLaren`s hospitality unit by the harbor.
His reasoning was straightforward: “Chance to win [Monaco], I`m staying. If we don`t have a chance to win, I`m going [to Indianapolis],” he explained. “My worst nightmare is not being at one or the other for a win.”
With Norris starting from pole and Oscar Piastri third at a venue known for its procession-like races – a stark contrast to the chaotic unpredictability of the Indy 500 – the potential spectacle in Monaco was too compelling for Brown to miss. His McLaren team has provided him with numerous winning moments recently, and Norris delivered another significant one on Sunday with a determined victory under tense circumstances, fulfilling a dream they have shared for a long time.
As is typical in Formula 1, attention largely shifted to the Indy 500 only after the Monaco proceedings concluded and the celebrations began to wind down. The two events differ greatly in their buildup; Indy features an almost month-long anticipation leading to the main race, while Monaco adheres to F1`s compact three-day schedule. In today`s Monaco paddock, following the Indy race can sometimes feel like an afterthought, even among those keen to watch.
The F1 calendar, especially a tripleheader like Imola-Monaco-Barcelona, made straightforward viewing of the Indy 500 challenging for most rank-and-file McLaren team members. Many were already at Nice airport preparing to depart as the Indy 500 entered its final stages. Most had to gather around phones or iPads to follow the conclusion. Although many team members expressed a desire to sit and watch the race properly, time constraints prevented it; a Sunday evening flight offered an extra full day at home, a valuable luxury amidst F1`s demanding schedule.
“I`ll watch it at the hotel,” Brown told ESPN.
Asked if he was a calm spectator in such situations, he laughed, “No. No. Horrible.”
It likely wasn`t a particularly enjoyable viewing experience for him regarding the Indy 500 results. After two second-place finishes in the previous three runnings, Pato O`Ward was Arrow McLaren`s best finisher in fourth place. Christian Lundgaard finished ninth, and rookie Nolan Siegel was 16th, while Kyle Larson retired after crashing on Lap 92.
Adding to the difficulty, the winner was Álex Palou, a three-time IndyCar champion currently involved in a $30 million breach-of-contract lawsuit with McLaren.
At least Brown could take comfort in the knowledge that his decision to remain in Monte Carlo proved to be the right one.
Following the race across the Atlantic was slightly easier for those who reside in Monaco.
“I will probably be watching on my couch at home,” F1 championship leader Piastri said during Sunday`s news conference, then turned to Norris and Charles Leclerc, both fellow residents. “Unless I get an invite? You`re welcome to come if you want, but yeah, probably on my couch. And I`ll keep my answer short because I want to go watch it.”
The Australian is content remaining a spectator when it comes to the famous oval race. “Not for me,” he told ESPN about ever attempting the Indy 500.
As for Norris, he expressed that winning Monaco Sunday night was a dream realized, stating proudly that one day his children would know their father won the Monaco Grand Prix. However, he doesn`t anticipate them ever having anything to say about the Indianapolis 500.
“It is something I`ll never do, I can say it right now,” Norris declared Sunday evening. “I`m not doing it. Just have no interest in doing it. Not my thing. It`s not what I enjoy. I have a lot of respect for these guys. There are a lot of incredibly talented drivers over there in America, and some of them could do very well in Formula 1.”
With a sly grin, he added, “But, yeah, I like turning right as well. So, that`s the main thing.” — Nate Saunders
