Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) has faced big challenges in recent years at the Indianapolis 500, especially during qualifying. Out of their seven cars in the past two years, the best starting position they achieved was 21st.
Last year was especially tough. Graham Rahal couldn’t even make it into the field of 33 cars. Three out of their four cars had to compete in Last Chance qualifying, while the other started in 29th place.
Takuma Sato, a two-time winner of the Indy 500, drove full-time for Dale Coyne Racing in 2022. Last year, he only raced part-time with Chip Ganassi Racing. Despite this, he’s still closely connected to RLL, where he won the Indy 500 in 2020. Bobby Rahal, one of the team’s owners, really wanted Sato back on the team.
Sato, 47, shared his thoughts on returning to RLL. He mentioned that Bobby Rahal kept urging him to come back after their tough year. Sato feels lucky to rejoin the team. Many familiar faces are still there, and the team has made significant updates since he left.
Sato is happy to be back in the car, but they’re still working hard to improve performance. They’re experimenting with different setups and relying on the engineers’ expertise.
When asked to explain what’s “interesting” about the car by the media, Sato said it’s hard to put into words. The car is physically similar, but small adjustments make a big difference. For example, even a change in wind direction affects how the car feels. Despite challenges, Sato feels more optimistic this year compared to last. There are promising signs that they can improve, and they’re working hard to make that happen in the upcoming days of practice.
