Santa Claus is not coming to town.
After this year, race fans will find themselves on the permanent naughty list as the tripleheader Memorial Day Weekend tradition affectionately known by some as “Motorsports Christmas” will end.
Formula One’s Monaco Grand Prix is moving to June, separating it from the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 — all of which are typically contested on the same Sunday. American motorsports fans are fond of getting up early to watch Monaco with a cup of coffee, gluing themselves to the Indy 500 while grilling and settling in for NASCAR’s longest race at night with an adult beverage or two.
But after Sunday, our “Motorsports Christmas” stockings will be filled with coal.
Before we bid farewell to the greatest day in racing, here’s a group discussion among our four motorsports writers, all covering one of the races in question: Luke Smith and Madeline Coleman (both in Monaco this week), Jeff Gluck (Indy 500) and Jordan Bianchi (Coke 600).
For anyone new to the idea, what makes Monaco, Indy and the Coca‑Cola 600 sharing one Sunday so special?
Coleman: The Monaco Grand Prix embodies what F1 represents, capturing the glitz, glamour and history of the sport. Meanwhile, the Indy 500 showcases the capabilities of IndyCar, illustrating the fine line of where the limits lie. The Coca-Cola 600 serves as NASCAR’s Memorial Day tribute and holds a significant place for me, as it was my first NASCAR race in person (and the first motorsport race I ever covered). With a full day of racing, motorsport fans can experience a variety of driving disciplines and strategies, including Kyle Larson attempting to do the “Double” by racing in both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600.
Gluck: It depends on whether you’re an American reading this or someone overseas. I’m guessing the NASCAR part of the tripleheader is not at all special to fans outside the U.S., but many NASCAR fans I know will watch all three as part of the tradition. In some ways, it’s been a gift to expose other forms of racing to an often-insular group (everyone thinks their series is the best, after all). As mentioned above, Monaco and the Indy 500 may be the only non-NASCAR races some stock car fans watch all year.
Smith: Any of these races would be a significant event. The fact they all fall on the same day, allowing fans to enjoy back-to-back racing, is exciting. Monaco and the Indy 500 are crown jewel events in the F1 and IndyCar seasons, respectively, forming two-thirds of the “Triple Crown of Motorsport’ alongside the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Both events feature a level of pomp and ceremony not found in other races. To immerse yourself in motorsport history in just 12 hours, there’s no better way than these three events.
Bianchi: These are races that are proudly noted by the winning driver when looking back at their career. So when you have all three held on the same day, consecutively, it creates a sense of celebration where instead of fans of each series throwing their noses up at the other, they take an increased interest in what is happening that they otherwise wouldn’t.
For those who might not be as familiar with the intricacies of each series, why is it so hard for someone in today’s era to be successful in multiple disciplines? After all, isn’t racing just racing?
Coleman: Something I thoroughly enjoy about working in motorsports is talking about this topic with drivers and team personnel because these disciplines are so different, from the cars to the tracks to training to the technology and data. It isn’t simple. Plus, as Jenson Button told me last year, “I don’t think you can class yourself as the best driver in the world unless you’ve raced in other categories and been competitive. Driving an F1 car is very specific compared to driving a rally car, compared to driving even a GT car.”
Gluck: It’s all so specialized in the modern era, and it’s borderline impossible to jump from one series to another and expect success. The cars drive differently, the racing standards are different, the race procedures are different. An F1 driver simply isn’t going to jump into an oval race and expect to win, just like a NASCAR driver would never be up to speed in an F1 car without extensive seat time. What Larson is doing with the “Double” on Sunday has captured so many imaginations because being successful in two different cars is extremely challenging.
Monaco will move dates in 2026 (Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Smith: It’s very, very different, being able to race around a street circuit like Monaco versus a superspeedway like Indianapolis in an Indy car versus Charlotte in a stock car. Each requires a very different set of skills, but the common theme is bravery. It’s why seeing Robert Shwartzman score pole for his debut in the Indy 500 is such a big deal, given he’s spent the entirety of his career racing in single-seaters on road and street courses — and never before on an oval. The skills are completely different. The other big limiting factor is time: The hectic schedule for each series makes it impossible to prepare for a shot at any other discipline properly.
Bianchi: There is also the issue of manufacturer and sponsor conflicts that often interfere with a driver from jumping to a different series. This wasn’t such a hurdle decades ago — at least not insurmountable, but it too frequently acts as a blockade. The sponsorship money required to support top-flight racing has increased to such a level that many teams don’t feel the financial risk is worth allowing their drivers to go “play” elsewhere.
Based on their comments, it sounds like most F1 drivers have no interest in running the Indy 500. What’s your take on why that is?
Coleman: Part of it likely is the risk versus reward aspect as well as the speed. Racing in the Indy 500 takes a lot of preparation because ovals are dangerous and require focus and skill. That is significant banking, the walls are fairly close, and the speeds are quicker than F1’s top speeds. Yes, one may argue that street circuits could prepare F1 drivers for close proximity, but there’s a reason F1 doesn’t have a lot of banking anymore. They respect the race; however, many don’t sound like they want to try it. Oscar Piastri recently discussed it, ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.
Gluck: From what I’ve read, it’s a safety concern. The F1 guys think Indy 500 drivers are nuts. But let’s have IndyCar driver Colton Herta chime in on this one: “It’s more dangerous than most stuff that they do (in F1). There’s no doubt about that. … But it’s not that much worse than crashing at some other places in an IndyCar. So I think they have a bit of a misunderstanding. And I bet they have never been here in person and just don’t understand it, because I think if they saw everything (with 350,000 people in attendance), they’d be willing to give up their gripe with it being unsafe.”
Smith: If you ask the majority of the F1 grid, they’ll admit that even watching the Indy 500 is a scary experience for them, given the speeds and impacts involved. Daniel Ricciardo was always pretty clear in saying it was a step too far for him to consider trying his hand at it for that reason. It’s often only when drivers make the switch from F1 to IndyCar that they start to get a better understanding of it. Alexander Rossi and Marcus Ericsson are two drivers who have both gone on to win at the Brickyard post-F1, but neither would have likely given thought to doing the Indy 500 while still part of the grand prix racing world.
Bianchi: If someone who’s never previously raced on an oval, let alone at such high speeds with other cars close, doesn’t feel comfortable doing so, it’s hard to criticize their decision.
If an F1 driver did cross over next year and run Indy, who would you be most excited to see try it?
Coleman: I’d like to see Max Verstappen or Valtteri Bottas, the latter of whom I think would be most likely to try. Verstappen’s skill level and adaptability are arguably unmatched, and if he were ever open to trying ovals, it would be interesting to see how he’d adjust to IndyCar. It’s highly unlikely, but it would be exciting. Meanwhile, Bottas has had conversations with IndyCar teams before, and he’s admitted to having his eye on the Indy 500 before.
Gluck: I’d want to see someone with a chance of adapting quickly and winning, so definitely Verstappen. You’d think the adaptability of Verstappen and his sim-racing experience would help him get up to speed quickly. But three years ago, he was among those who said Indy is too dangerous, and he had no desire to do it, so that probably will never happen.
Smith: I want to see Alonso go back to the Indy 500. Back in 2017, Alonso got permission to miss Monaco and race at Indianapolis, famously leading a big chunk of the race before an engine failure forced him to retire late on. He failed to qualify in 2019 and barely registered on the radar in 2020. Alonso is the closest active driver to completing the “triple crown,” having won at Monaco and Le Mans. I’d love to see him take a shot at achieving racing history.
Bianchi: Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen are the obvious choices. Especially Hamilton, just because an Indy 500 win would elevate him to an even higher plane, which is hard to fathom considering he already has a case for being F1’s greatest driver. Imagine the build-up to the month of May and race day itself if Hamilton or Verstappen filed an entry.
Juan Pablo Montoya is the only driver who has raced all three in his career. Do you ever see another driver doing that?
Coleman: One day, someone will race all three again. There are barriers to consider — reaching F1 means eventually joining the European ladder. Multiple IndyCar drivers are ex-F1 drivers, and some F1 drivers have crossed over into the NASCAR world, such as Kimi Räikkönen with Trackhouse’s Project 91. So it’s not impossible to do all three.
Gluck: I don’t see any viable candidates, but it’ll happen again someday. We have to rule out NASCAR drivers, because they’d never get a superlicense to race F1, so it would have to be an F1 castoff who ended up in IndyCar for a few years and then decided to try NASCAR. Maybe if someone like a Logan Sargeant rediscovers his passion for racing and runs IndyCar for a bit, then gets curious about NASCAR and tries to run a couple of seasons there. It’s possible, just not anytime soon.
Our writers agree: Every driver will be watching the Indy 500 on Sunday (Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Smith: It’ll take a very special type of driver and a unique career path for that to happen again. My best bet is that it would be a driver who makes it to F1, races in Monaco, doesn’t hang around too long, makes the move over to IndyCar, spends time in the U.S., and then thinks, “Hey, let’s give NASCAR a go.” Nowadays, multidisciplinarians are rare, especially when considering the demands of the F1 schedule. So for now, I don’t see it happening again.
Bianchi: It will definitely happen again. The likeliest scenario is a driver whose opportunity in F1 has concluded, who then comes to the United States to continue their racing career. Maybe Kimi Räikkönen will get bored in retirement and give it a go; after all, he does have experience racing a stock car at Charlotte.
Can you tell us how much the drivers in the series you cover care about or follow the other races on this day?
Coleman: It is probably more likely that F1 drivers will tune in for the Indy 500, at least some of them. The time zones don’t help, considering Monaco is six hours ahead of the East Coast. It’ll be midnight when the Coca-Cola 600 begins. Verstappen has stayed up to watch a NASCAR race before (when Shane van Gisbergen competed), but I believe the Indy 500 is more likely.
Gluck: Most NASCAR drivers will keep an eye on Monaco and watch as much of the Indy 500 as they can while going through their pre-race appearances and obligations at the Coke 600. IndyCar drivers will be getting busy around Monaco time, but might watch a bit of it during breakfast. Anyway, go ahead, Madeline and Luke, hurt the NASCAR drivers’ feelings by telling them no one in F1 watches the 600.
The Coca-Cola 600 rounds out the day (Logan Riely/Getty Images)
Smith: Sorry, Jeff, but I don’t think many F1 drivers will be watching the 600 — partly because it won’t start until midnight in Monaco! A lot of them will tune in to the Indy 500 once they’re through everything in Monaco after the race. McLaren has a natural interest given its involvement there and how much it emphasises the crossover between its teams, but others will also be trying to find somewhere to watch it.
Bianchi: Although F1 drivers may not watch NASCAR’s longest race, the reality is that of the three races, the Coca-Cola 600 may be the most competitive from green flag to checkered flag than any of the three races on Sunday.
If you were a race fan with an unlimited budget and could only do one of these races on Sunday, which would you pick?
Coleman: I’d pick Monaco every time. Legends have raced the same streets locals take to work and school, and Monaco has become synonymous with F1. The racing product is an issue, and I am intrigued to learn how this year’s changes will impact it. It’s not a given that Monaco will always be on the F1 calendar, a question that the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 do not face. It’s best to enjoy the moment while it lasts.
Gluck: This is so tough, because Monaco is absolutely on my bucket list just for the glamorous and gorgeous setting. Still, there’s nothing like the Indy 500. I truly believe it’s the world’s greatest race, as do every one of its competitors. It’s the largest single-day attendance on the planet (a sold-out crowd of 350,000), and if it were up to me, I’d never miss another one for the rest of my life.
Smith: A bit like Alonso is out to complete his “Triple Crown” of Le Mans, Monaco and Indy, I’m also just one race shy of having covered those three events — and it’s the Indy 500 that’s missing. When F1 announced earlier this year that Monaco would be moving date to try and help the calendar make more sense, my first thought was, “Does this mean I can do the 500!?” I love how much ceremony goes into the race, the traditions involved, and how it stands as so much more than just another round of the season. I adore Monaco, and I really want to cover a NASCAR race someday. But the Indy 500 would be a bucket list event for me.
Bianchi: Sitting on a yacht docked alongside Monaco’s famed circuit while sipping overly expensive champagne sounds absolutely delightful. Yes, please.
Top photo of Charles Leclerc and the 2024 Indianapolis 500: Mark Sutton – Formula 1/Formula, Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
