MotorSportsTalk's predictions: Chinese GP - MotorSportsTalk

In a new feature on MotorSportsTalk, the Formula One writers have made some predictions for the race weekend, picking their race winner, surprise result, and the driver who has the most to prove. Of course, this is all hypothetical. Formula One is notorious for producing the unexpected, making no prediction a sure-fire call.

Tony DiZinno (@tonydizinno)

Race winner: Sebastian Vettel. Spurred on by the scandal and Red Bull Racing’s lack of wins there since 2009, I think he comes out even hungrier and dominates this weekend to leave no doubt.

Surprising finish: Jenson Button. McLaren has had a miserable start to the year but since Pirelli’s new softer tires are in play this weekend, and McLaren claims improvements to the car over the break, I think Button can sneak a top-five if his usual tire management skills come into play.

Most to prove: Can I say a tie between the two Mexicans? Perez and Gutierrez have been underwhelming this year, Perez due to equipment and Gutierrez due to Hulkenberg at Sauber. Either of them needs a big weekend.

Christopher Estrada (@estradawriting)

Race winner: Fernando Alonso. He says he doesn’t regret the wing decision that took him out at Malaysia, but Alonso’s got to be champing at the bit going into Shanghai.

Surprising finish: Adrian Sutil. He was undone by a wheelnut issue last time out, but has been decent in race pace and can sneak up again as he did in Australia.

Most to prove: Mark Webber. If an all-out battle has indeed begun between himself and teammate Sebastian Vettel, Webber has no choice but to take the fight to him.

Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1)

Race winner: Sebastian Vettel. Seb is usually very quick in Shanghai. With the quickest car, it’s hard to look past him for the race win this weekend – without team orders…

Surprising finish: Felipe Massa. The Brazilian is back to his 2008 best it would appear. If he can continue his great qualifying form and not lose out off the start, then he could be in the running for a podium.

Most to prove: Charles Pic. With home favorite Ma Qing Hua replacing him for FP1, and rumors circulating about his future, Pic needs a big weekend to silence any critics. Beating Bianchi will be hard, but it must be his target.

Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)

Race winner: Fernando Alonso will exploit the Ferrari’s promising long-run pace to useful effect.

Surprising finish: Nico Rosberg ahead of Lewis Hamilton (as long as the team don’t get involved again).

Most to prove: Pastor Maldonado needs to assert himself over his promising young team mate and be the first of them to pick up a point in the troublesome FW35.

INDIANAPOLIS — The first Indy 500 victory for Josef Newgarden also was the richest in race history from a record 2023 purse of just more than $17 million.

The two-time NTT IndyCar Series champion, who continued his celebration Monday morning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway earned $3.666 million for winning the 107th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

The purse and winner’s share both are the largest in the history of the Indianapolis 500.

It’s the second consecutive year that the Indy 500 purse set a record after the 2022 Indy 500 became the first to crack the $16 million mark (nearly doubling the 2021 purse that offered a purse of $8,854,565 after a crowd limited to 135,000 because of the COVID-19 pandemic).

The average payout for IndyCar drivers was $500,600 (exceeding last year’s average of $485,000).

Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske, whose team also fields Newgarden’s No. 2 Dallara-Chevrolet, had made raising purses a priority since buying the track in 2020. But Penske but was unable to post big money purses until the race returned to full capacity grandstands last year.

The largest Indy 500 purse before this year was $14.4 million for the 2008 Indy 500 won by Scott Dixon (whose share was $2,988,065). Ericsson’s haul made him the second Indy 500 winner to top $3 million (2009 winner Helio Castroneves won $3,048,005.

Runner-up Marcus Ericsson won $1.043 million after falling short by 0.0974 seconds in the fourth-closest finish in Indy 500 history.

The 107th Indy 500 drew a crowd of at least 330,000 that was the largest since the sellout for the 100th running in 2016, and the second-largest in more than two decades, according to track officials.

“This is the greatest race in the world, and it was an especially monumental Month of May featuring packed grandstands and intense on-track action,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said in a release. “Now, we have the best end card possible for the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500: a record-breaking purse for the history books.”

Benjamin Pedersen was named the Indy 500 rookie of the year, earning a $50,000 bonus.

The race’s purse is determined through contingency and special awards from IMS and IndyCar. The awards were presented Monday night in the annual Indy 500 Victory Celebration at the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis.

The payouts for the 107th Indy 500:

1. Josef Newgarden, $3,666,000
2. Marcus Ericsson, $1,043,000
3. Santino Ferrucci, $481,800
4. Alex Palou, $801,500
5. Alexander Rossi, $574,000
6. Scott Dixon, $582,000
7. Takuma Sato, $217,300
8. Conor Daly, $512,000
9. Colton Herta, $506,500
10. Rinus VeeKay, $556,500
11. Ryan Hunter‐Reay, $145,500
12. Callum Ilott, $495,500
13. Devlin DeFrancesco, $482,000
14. Scott McLaughlin, $485,000
15. Helio Castroneves, $481,500
16. Tony Kanaan, $105,000
17. Marco Andretti, $102,000
18. Jack Harvey, $472,000
19. Christian Lundgaard, $467,500
20. Ed Carpenter, $102,000
21. Benjamin Pedersen (R), $215,300
22. Graham Rahal, $565,500*
23. Will Power, $488,000
24. Pato O’Ward, $516,500
25. Simon Pagenaud, $465,500
26. Agustín Canapino (R), $156,300
27. Felix Rosenqvist, $278,300
28. Kyle Kirkwood, $465,500
29. David Malukas, $462,000
30. Romain Grosjean, $462,000
31. Sting Ray Robb (R), $463,000
32. RC Enerson (R), $103,000
33. Katherine Legge, $102,000

*–Broken down between two teams, $460,000 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, $105,500 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports

MotorSportsTalk’s predictions: Chinese GP

Winner Josef Newgarden earns $3.666 million from a record Indy 500 purse of $17 million