“I’m fed up with trying to make this work”: Santino Ferrucci drops a blunt verdict amid his prep for Indy 500 

A. J. Foyt Racing driver Santino Ferrucci will be competing in his seventh Indy 500 championship at the race's 109th edition scheduled for May 25th. However, he made his frustrations known ahead of the showdown.

The pace setter on day two, or Wednesday practice, was the championship leader, Alex Palou, with a speed of 227.546 mph, whereas Santino Ferrucci was in the penultimate spot of 33rd with 220.566 mph.

During the practice, when asked by the IndyCar Pit lane reporter about his feelings after experimenting with the setup and traffic running, he expressed his disappointment.

"I was pretty happy in the Open Test, but that was on a road course car. Now, the second day in the speedway car, probably our fourth run, I felt comfortable with what we did overnight, then in clean air decided to hop on the back of a train to get the balance read," said Ferrucci

He expressed his desire to revert to last year's machine, as he cannot see any promise in this year's car.

"I am going back to last year's car. I am fed up with trying to make this work. There was light at the end of the tunnel, but not anymore," he added

Last year, in the 108th edition of the Indianapolis 500, Santino Ferrucci entered the Firestone Fast Six to start the race in P6, and after a grueling showdown of 200 laps, he came home in P8, continuing his streak of top 10 finishes.

---

Santino Ferrucci reveals his secret to his impressive performances at the Indy 500 over the years

AUTO: MAY 18 NTT IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 Qualifying - Source: Getty

Santino Ferrucci rose to prominence during the 2019 race, helped in part by Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s commendation of his bold driving approach. Known for his consistent performances, he continues to have a significant presence in the sport.

In the six editions of the Indianapolis 500 championships he has participated in, he never finished outside P10. In 2019, he won the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year honors after his seventh-place finish at the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

On the Pit Pass Indy podcast, he revealed his secret behind the success. He expressed that the driver should not let the hype of the iconic event get to them, and they should 'treat it like any other event'.

"Man, just treating this race like any other," replied Ferrucci. [29:13 onwards]

"It's special, I love all camaraderie here, all the fans, all the people that show up, the traditions, I love all of that stuff. But at the end of the day, strap your helmet on and get behind the wheel of that car. You gotta remember, it's any other race in the championship," he added.

Santino Ferrucci is currently 15th in the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series championship, with a total of 73 points.