Marco Andretti shares golden Indy 500 advice with overachieving rookie Robert Shwartzman

IndyCar royalty Marco Andretti came out with advice for PREMA Racing star Robert Shwartzman after the first day of 2025 Indy 500 qualifying. The IndyCar rookie was able to get into the Top 12 in the Saturday qualifying sessions and shocked the whole paddock.

PREMA Racing made its IndyCar debut this season with rookie Robert Shwartzman and Callum Ilott as its driver lineup. The Italian team expectedly faced a few struggles at the beginning of the season. The struggles included reliability issues and a deficiency in outright pace.

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Coming into the Indy 500 weekend, hopes weren't that high from PREMA Racing and rookie Robert Shwartzman. However, the Russian-Israeli driver shocked everyone by setting an average speed that put him in the Top 12.

Marco Andretti, on the other hand, struggled on the first day of qualifying and narrowly missed out on making the Top 30, and will be participating in the last chance qualifiers this evening.

The 2025 Indy 500 will be Marco’s 20th appearance at the iconic race. During the post-qualifying press conference, Marco was asked whether he had any advice for rookie Robert Shwartzman before his debut Indy 500.

“Man, that's a good question. I think trust yourself at this place. Respect the speed. If something doesn't feel right, it's probably not. Yeah, trust yourself at these speeds is always a good one,” said Marco Andretti.

“But yeah, I mean, this place is something else, man. I've been on pole here, and I'm about to get a 33 cent check in a couple days. That's just this place. It's crazy,” he added.

The grid from P13-P30 has been set for the Indy 500, with the last chance qualifiers and the Top 12 positions to be decided on Sunday evening.

“Wasn’t for the lack of trying”: Marco Andretti reflects upon Saturday qualifying at the 2025 Indy 500

Marco Andretti retired from full-time IndyCar racing at the end of the 2020 season, and since then, he has been participating in the Indy 500 as a one-off event. It is understandable for Marco not to be up to speed as the others around him have been consistently driving IndyCar year-round.

However, on the other hand, there are drivers like Takuma Sato, who in their one-off entry made it to the Top 12, and Kyle Larson, who managed to get into the Top 20 despite moving from stock car racing.

Nonetheless, as Marco Andretti will try to get into the final spots for the Indy 500 in the last chance qualifiers, he reflected upon the missed opportunity during the Saturday qualifying as his tweet read:

“Wasn’t for the lack of trying. 5 runs today in the wind. Will try again tomorrow. Proud of the grit of the 98 crew for sticking with it! This place is something else. Love it.”

Marco Andretti, Marcus Armstrong, Rinus VeeKay, and Jacob Abel will fight for the final three spots in the last chance qualifiers.