Rain slows Schumacher and co. in legendary race

NTT INDYCAR Series Good Ranchers 250

Mick Schumacher will have to wait longer than he hoped for his first qualifying run at the legendary Indianapolis 500. Saturday's scheduled opening session was repeatedly delayed by rain and eventually cancelled.

On Sunday, all 33 starting positions for the 24 May race will be set in a condensed qualifying run.

At midday local time (6:00 pm CEST, Sky), each driver will have one solo run over four laps on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, aiming for the highest possible average speed. Schumacher will be the 15th driver to take his shot, as determined by the draw. This opening segment will set positions 13–33, after which the Top 12 shootout (roughly 10:30 pm CEST) and a final Top 6 pole run will follow.

Schumacher lost valuable practice time to rain. The German rookie is still coming to grips with his RLL Honda and oval racing; he could manage only 31st in Indy 500 practice and has yet to finish higher than 17th on any circuit this season. Yet the German defied expectations in March on the season's only previous oval: at Phoenix, Arizona, he qualified a surprise fourth.

Regardless, Schumacher is poised to make history in the 110th Indy 500 as the first German entrant since 1921.