Has an F1 driver won the Indy 500?

The Indy 500 has long shared a historical connection with Formula 1. When the FIA World Championship was established in 1950, the Indy 500 was included on the official F1 calendar, despite being run under different regulations and largely without participation from European teams. Due to logistical challenges, scheduling conflicts, and regulatory differences, the race was ultimately dropped from the F1 championship after the 1960 season.

However, the prestigious race remains a part of the coveted triple crown of motorsport, which includes the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Over the years, 13 F1 drivers have taken the checkered flag at the Indianapolis 500.

1. Rodger Ward (1959, 1962)

Rodger Ward competed in 12 Formula 1 World Championship races over more than a decade, from 1951 to 1963. Remarkably, 10 of those starts took place at the Indianapolis 500, back when the race was part of the F1 calendar. He captured his first Indy 500 win in 1959 and earned a second victory in 1962, solidifying his place among the event’s greats.

2. Jim Clark (1965)

Considered one of the greatest drivers in history, Jim Clark was crowned Formula 1 World Champion twice. Additionally, he has also won six titles in different formats.

Between 1963 and 1967, Clark made five starts at the Indy 500 and won his first and only one after two attempts.

3. Graham Hill (1966)

Graham Hill only man in history to wear the coveted Triple Crown of Motorsport. The two-time winner of the Formula 1 world championship (1962, 1968) won the Indy 500 under controversial circumstances ahead of the reigning winner Jim Clark in 1966.

However, Hill failed to convert his other two attempts in the Brickyard glory.

4. Mario Andretti (1969)

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The 1978 Formula 1 World Champion, Mario Andretti, is still one of the biggest names in the American open-wheel racing industry. Andretti holds numerous records at the Brickyard, including the second highest starts at the Greatest Spectacle of Racing and the longest gap between two pole positions, i.e., 20 years.

He only won the Indianapolis 500 once in 1969 despite his 29 starts at the race.

5. Mark Donohue (1972)

With 14 starts in F1 and 5 starts at the Indy 500, Mark Donohue had a stellar record at the race tracks. He won the race in 1972. However, the talented driver lost his life at the Austrian GP in 1975, bringing an unfortunate end to a great career.

The loss of Donohue at the age of 38 also resulted in IndyCar Mogul Roger Penske pulling out of Formula 1.

6. Danny Sullivan (1985)

The Kentucky-born driver made 15 starts in Formula 1 and 12 at the Indianapolis 500. He won the race only once in 1985 and was unable to replicate the glory for the rest of his career, suffering bad luck at the track, which included eight DNFs at the Brickyard.

Though the American only spent one season at F1, he found glory at its homeland alternative. He was crowned the IndyCar Champion in 1988.

7. Emerson Fittipaldi (1989, 1993)

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The two-time Formula 1 World Champion (1972, 1974) won the Indianapolis 500 twice as well. Emerson Fittipaldi officially retired from Formula 1 at the end of the 1980 season. He had competed in 144 Grand Prix and won 14 races during his F1 career.

Subsequently, the Brazilian transitioned to the CART IndyCar Series in 1984, where he enjoyed a successful second act, winning the Indianapolis 500 twice and the CART Championship. Notably, he also remains the only man who snubbed the Drinking the Milk tradition to promote his juice brand.

8. Jacques Villeneuve (1995)

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Jacques Villeneuve made a reverse transition to Formula 1, as he is one of the few drivers who reached the Apex of motorsport after driving in the IndyCar Championship. He won the race in 1995 and the Formula 1 World Championship in 1997, beating the likes of Michael Schumacher.

Villeneuve came from a rich pedigree of motorsport as his father, Giles, was considered a formidable force before the latter's untimely passing.

9. Eddie Cheever (1998)

Eddie Cheever had 132 starts in Formula 1 with no wins to his tally. Finding no success at F1, the American looked to his homeland, where he began finding glory.

Driving for his outfit, Team Cheever, Eddie Cheever made history by becoming the first driver since A. J. Foyt in 1977 to win the Indianapolis 500 in a car he owned. He achieved the milestone on his ninth attempt at the race, charging from 17th on the grid to claim victory. He won the Indy 500 in 1998.

10. Juan Pablo Montoya (2000, 2015)

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Like Jacques Villeneuve, Juan Pablo Montoya also stepped into IndyCar before competing in Formula 1 from 2001 to 2006. Having won seven Grands Prix at the apex of motorsport, Motoya has also raced in different formats like NASCAR, World Endurance Championship, etc.

He won the Indy 500 twice, once in 2000 before joining F1 and then 15 years later for the second time.

11. Alexander Rossi (2016)

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F1 Team Manor Marussia's uncompetitive nature brought a premature end to Alexander Rossi's career, as he had to bow out of F1 after only five races in 2016. However, he participated in the IndyCar Championship and also the Indy 500 the same year and won the Indy 500 as a rookie driver. A feat that was only achieved by 10 drivers until then.

He is also one of the three ex-F1 drivers participating in the 109th running of the Indy 500.

12. Takuma Sato (2017, 2020)

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Takuma Sato had 90 starts in Formula 1 between 2002 and 2008 without ever taking the checkered flag. Sato found glory at American open-wheel racing, where he made 15 starts at the Indy 500, winning it twice, once even beating the 2x F1 champion Fernando Alonso.

The 48-year-old will be starting from the front row at this year's Indy 500 scheduled for Sunday, as he came home in P2 behind pole sitter rookie Robert Shwartzman.

13. Marcus Ericsson (2022)

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Marcus Ericsson is the latest Indy 500 winner from the Formula 1 driver roster. Having made 97 starts in F1, the Swede never found himself taking the chequered flag. However, he managed to bring him one-third of the Triple Crown in his third attempt at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2022.

Including Sato and Rossi, Ericsson is the only ex-F1 driver driving at the 109th edition of the Indy 500.