Katherine Legge is hoping to become the first woman to win the Indy 500 this year in a joint effort with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
The 42-year-old has not raced at the ‘Racing Capital of the World’ since 2013 when she teamed up with Schmidt Petersen Motorsports, who have now evolved into Arrow McLaren).
Legge’s best finish at the Brickyard came one year earlier, though, with Dragon Racing as she crossed the line in 22nd. Since her last IndyCar appearance, the British racer has been all over the world in Formula E and the World Endurance Championship while finding a home in the IMSA series in North America.
But ever since that last Indy 500 attempt, Legge has been wanting to return with a chance to win and she believes this could be the year.
“I’ve wanted to come back ever since I last did it 10 years ago,” Legge exclusively told Total-Motorsport.com. “Every year I look at what the options could be.
“I wanted to do it with a good team because I’ve done it for the sake of doing it before, but now I want the opportunity to win it. I don’t just want to do it to do it anymore, I want to do it to win it.
“When the opportunity came up with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, it’s such an amazing organisation. The teams have come so far that they’re almost like Formula 1 teams at this level, it’s crazy.”
Striving for inclusivity
Legge will be the only female driver on the grid should she be one of the 33 cars out of 34 who take the start on May 28.
The Guildford-born driver hopes one day to see several female racers on the grid at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway but she doesn’t view herself as anything more than a racing driver, gender irrelevant.
“I don’t see myself as a female driver, I’m just a racing driver,” Legge added. “For me, it doesn’t make any difference in one regard.
“But in another regard, I’m a big advocate for getting more women into racing and supporting the women we already have in racing.
“I want there to be a strong base for the next generation of Katherine’s and I think there’s a lot being done throughout motorsport through the FIA’s Women in Motorsport commission.
“There’s definitely more women in racing but there doesn’t seem to be that many breaking through into the top level. It’s not really any more than there was 10 years ago.
“Instead of there being only nine women to have done the Indy 500 ever, it would be really cool if, one day, there were nine women on the grid.”
