Takuma Sato tags wall in IndyCar practice

Takuma Sato brushed the wall during Indianapolis 500 practice on Sunday, and IndyCar distributed video of the moment on its official social media accounts as teams prepared for qualifying at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The clip showed Sato’s No. 75 Honda make contact with the outside wall before continuing. IndyCar’s live leaderboard later listed Sato second in Practice 6 at 231.759 mph. The 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for May 24 at the 2.5-mile oval in Indianapolis. ### Which session was Sato in when the wall contact happened? Sunday, May 17, was scheduled to begin with Practice 6 at 9:30 a.m. ET before Indianapolis 500 qualifying later in the day, according to IndyCar’s event page and radio schedule. IndyCar’s leaderboard showed Practice 6 underway when Sato appeared near the top of the speed chart. IndyCar’s official video of the incident showed Sato’s car tagging the wall during that practice running. (indycar.com) The series did not, in the materials reviewed, immediately publish a separate written incident report with damage details or a medical update tied to the clip. ### Who is Takuma Sato in this year’s Indy 500 field? Takuma Sato is a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and is competing in the 2026 race with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. (indycar.com) IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway said in March that Sato would return in the team’s No. 75 AMADA Honda for the 110th running. The 49-year-old Japanese driver is attempting to make his 17th Indianapolis 500 start this May, according to IndyCar’s March announcement. (indycar.com) Sato won the race in 2017 with Andretti Global and again in 2020 with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. ### Did the contact end Sato’s session? IndyCar’s live timing page listed Sato in the pits with a best lap of 231.759 mph and seven laps completed during Practice 6. (indycar.com) That timing page placed him second at the moment captured in the search result, behind Christian Rasmussen at 232.255 mph. Those figures indicate Sato remained on the timing screen after the wall contact, though IndyCar’s publicly visible snippets did not state in the reviewed material whether the team made repairs before qualifying. (indycar.com) That is an inference from the live leaderboard listing, not a formal status report from the team or series. ### Why was Sunday’s track time especially important? Sunday, May 17, is qualifying day for the Indianapolis 500, and IndyCar revised the day’s schedule after weather changes earlier in the weekend. (indycar.com) IndyCar said qualifying would start at noon ET Sunday, after split-group practice at 9:30 a.m. IndyCar also said the updated 2026 format adds rounds on Sunday to set positions 1 through 15, with points awarded to drivers who advance to the Top 12 session. (indycar.com) The event page lists qualifying sessions for all cars, the Top 12 and the Firestone Fast Six on Sunday afternoon and evening. ### What else is on Sato’s record entering this month? Last year, Sato earned his best Indianapolis 500 starting position of second and led a race-high 51 laps before finishing ninth, IndyCar said in its March announcement. (indycar.com) The series said six of his last eight Indianapolis 500 starts have come with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Sato’s IndyCar driver profile lists 222 career starts, six series wins and 10 poles, along with his two Indianapolis 500 victories. (indycar.com) IndyCar said he was the first Japanese driver to win an IndyCar race and the first to win the Indianapolis 500. ### What comes next at Indianapolis Motor Speedway? IndyCar’s event schedule shows Indianapolis 500 qualifying continuing Sunday with the all-cars session at noon ET, the Top 12 at 4 p.m. (indycar.com) ET and the Firestone Fast Six at 6 p.m. ET. The next on-track session after qualifying is Practice 7 at 1 p.m. ET on Monday, May 18. The 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with race coverage starting at 10 a.m. (indycar.com) ET on FOX, FOX Deportes and FOX One, according to IndyCar. (indycar.com 1) (indycar.com 2)