The Indianapolis 500 is one of motorsport’s biggest spectacles and will be shown across Sky Sports. Practice runs take place during the week, followed by a six-hour qualifying session on Saturday and the dramatic qualifying shootout for pole position on Sunday evening. IndyCar points leader Alex Palou will be defending his crown in a race known for its unpredictability — 33 drivers racing wheel-to-wheel at more than 200 mph around the 2.5-mile oval.
Weather outlook
The short-range forecast for this week looks mostly dry for practice, with a chance of rain during Saturday’s six-hour qualifying window. Sunday’s qualifying shootout is expected to be dry. The long-range forecast for the 110th running of the Indy 500 on Sunday May 24 currently suggests dry conditions.
Sky Sports F1 broadcast schedule (UK)
Tuesday May 12 — 17:00: Practice One
Wednesday May 13 — 17:00: Practice Two
Thursday May 14 — 17:00: Practice Three
Friday May 15 — 17:00: Practice Four
Saturday May 16 — 13:30: Practice Five; 16:00: Qualifying (six-hour session)
Sunday May 17 — 18:00: Practice Six; 21:00: Qualifying (top 12 shootouts)
Monday May 18 — 18:00: Practice Seven
Friday May 22 — 16:00: Practice Eight (live on Sky Sports Mix); 20:10: Pit Stop Challenge
Sunday May 24 — Coverage begins 15:00; 110th Running of the Indy 500 (race scheduled to start at 17:30)
Indy 500 qualifying format explained
– Saturday’s six-hour qualifying: each driver is guaranteed at least one attempt determined by a random draw. A qualifying run consists of an out lap, a warm-up lap and four consecutive flying laps; the average speed across those four laps is the official time.
– After their guaranteed run, drivers may try to improve their average speed if track and weather conditions allow. Teams choose either Lane 1 or Lane 2 for subsequent attempts. Lane 1 has priority so drivers in that lane go next, but a new run replaces the previous best time (so a slower repeat can drop you down the order). Lane 2 attempts do not erase your existing best time — you keep your previous time even if the new run is slower.
– After Saturday, positions 13–33 are locked. The fastest 12 advance to Sunday’s shootouts, where they run in reverse order of their Saturday positions. The top six from that round move on to the final pole position shootout, with one more run deciding the front of the grid.
– There is no bump session this year because only 33 drivers entered. When the entry list exceeds 33, a bumping session determines which slowest driver fails to qualify.
How to watch or stream the Indy 500 in the UK and Ireland
If you have Sky
– TV: Sky customers can watch on Sky Sports F1. Coverage begins in the afternoon on Sunday May 24 with the race itself scheduled to start at 17:30.
– Sky Sports app: Sky customers can also stream on the Sky Sports app, which offers multiple live streams including onboard cameras for many drivers.
If you don’t have Sky
– NOW: Non-Sky customers can stream the Indy 500 via NOW (Day or Month passes are available). NOW gives access to all Sky Sports channels and is contract-free — you can sign up and watch on a wide range of devices.
Watching on mobile with the Sky Sports app
1. Download or open the Sky Sports app on your device.
2. From the app, go to the ‘Watch’ section for build-up coverage from 15:00 on Sunday May 24.
3. Select the Sky Sports F1 or Sky Sports Mix channel to view the live broadcast or alternate streams (e.g., onboards).
4. Sign in with your Sky iD when prompted — you generally only need to sign in once.
What is NOW?
NOW is an instant streaming service that provides access to every Sky Sports channel and many additional streams. It runs on over 60 device types and offers flexible membership options: Month passes or Day passes that can be cancelled without a long-term contract.
Weekend highlights
Sky Sports will present a packed motorsport weekend across May 22–24, with both the Indy 500 and the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix on the same weekend. Whether you’re tuning in on TV or streaming on mobile, Sky and NOW provide multiple ways to follow practice, qualifying and the race itself.