109th Indy 500 set to witness history as Le Mans and Indianapolis reach twinning agreement

The Indy 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans are two of the most prestigious events in the world. Their host cities, Indianapolis and Le Mans, will sign a historic twinning charter at the next endurance classic in June and formalize the agreement.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indy 500 are a part of the elusive triple crown of motorsport. While F1's Monaco Grand Prix is also a part of this, the other two cities coming together to foster collaboration is a big deal for motorsport enthusiasts.

The twinning agreement will see the two racing-centric cities coming together for greater collaboration and form a symbiotic relationship with the other. Le Mans' Mayor, Stéphane Le Foll, will also be present at the 109th Indianapolis 500 on May 25 to exhibit the sense of connectedness between the two cities.

Explaining what this partnership means, Le Foll said (via France Bleu):

"This partnership [between Le Mans and Indianapolis] is not only a symbolic link between two cities that deeply love racing, but also a framework to foster cultural, educational and economic exchanges that will bring lasting benefits to our communities."

Meanwhile, the 109th edition of the Indy 500 could witness the creation of history in other aspects.

---

Josef Newgarden could complete a historic three-peat at the Indy 500

Josef Newgarden and son Kota Newgarden at the NTT IndyCar Series 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

In the 108 editions of the Indy 500, no driver has ever been able to win the race for three years in succession. Josef Newgarden ended an over-two-decade wait for a repeat winner to step foot on the track, as the last repeat winner was Helio Castroneves (2001 and 2002).

Having the immense burden of etching history, the Team Penske driver shared his thoughts on completing the three-peat (via Forbes):

"To win the Indy 500 back-to-back was beyond my wildest dreams. It’s not a given that you’ll show up to the Indianapolis 500 and find success, but my team and the entire organization put in the effort and hard work to have the fastest cars. I can’t wait to go back to Indy this year. I believe that we can win three in a row, and I’m not worried about jinxing it because I know we can get the job done."

On the other hand, the 2025 IndyCar season has already posed various narratives. Alex Palou has begun the season with utter domination after winning the two races held so far.

Meanwhile, giants like Team Penske and Andretti have had a wobbly start to the season with three-way qualifying knockouts and penalties being lodged up for others. The 27-car grid now awaits the 50th race at Long Beach on April 13.