Tom Brady is plotting an Indy 500 bid with Sebastian Bourdais driving (Image: Getty)
NFL icon Tom Brady and seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson are reportedly teaming up to organise an entry into the in May, with former F1 driver Sebastian Bourdais behind the wheel.
Johnson appeared at the Indy 500 in 2022, finishing 28th after a late-race crash, but still picking up the Rookie of the Year honour. The NASCAR legend is now working on a fourth Chip Ganassi Racing entry for the 2025 edition alongside NFL giant Brady.
As reported by IndyCar reporter Tony Donohue on Tony D Podcast, former Toro Rosso star Bourdais is set to be the man behind the aero screen, ending a three-year hiatus from North America’s premier open-wheel series.
Bourdais became a four-time CART and Champ Car champion between 2004 and 2007 (the series later merged to become IndyCar). His exploits in the United States attracted the attention of and Helmut Marko, who brought Bourdais to Faenza to make his F1 debut in 2008.
Unfortunately for the Frenchman, his CART success did not translate into F1. Bourdais was dominated by younger team-mate and future four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, scoring points on just two occasions. At the same time, his Toro Rosso rival went on to claim a shock win at the Italian Grand Prix.
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Sebastian Bourdais is ready to return to the Brickyard (Image: Getty)
After leaving F1 partway through the 2009 season, Bourdais returned to IndyCar but couldn’t add to his four championships. Instead, he won just six more races and never finished inside the top six in the driver standings.
Bourdais left AJ Foyt Enterprises at the end of the 2021 campaign, but the 45-year-old is now braced for an unexpected return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as he takes on motorsport’s most prestigious race for the 11th time.
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The Frenchman is far from the only notable driver preparing for the 109th running of the 500-mile race. Indy 500 veterans Ryan Hunter-Reay, Helio Castroneves and Ed Carpenter are all returning, while NASCAR sensation Kyle Larson is ready for his second outing at the Brickyard.
There will be notable former F1 stars on the grid, too. Alexander Rossi and Marcus Ericsson remain on the grid. Meanwhile, reserve driver Pato O’Ward is searching for his first trip to victory lane at the Brickyard after losing out to Josef Newgarden on the final lap in 2024.