The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the largest spectator sporting facility in the world, with more than 250,000 permanent seats. The road circuit incorporates portions of the famed 2.5-mile oval. Formula One competitors will drive on the short chute between Turns 1 and 2 of the oval, through Turn 1 of the oval and then down the front straightaway of the oval before entering the infield portion of the circuit just before Turn 4 of the oval. Formula One drivers will drive clockwise on the course as opposed to anti-clockwise for the Indy 500.

73 laps of the 2.6 mile circuit will be completed with the fastest lap being recorded by Michael Schumacher in 2001 qualifying with a lap of 1 minute 11.708 seconds. A record that is sure to fall this time round.

Last season the event was overshadowed by the terrorist attacks in the US but the fans were still out in force to witness a Mika Hakkinen win in his final season of F1. It was a very subdued Michael Schumacher who raced here, so much so that Luca Badoer was standing by to take his place in the race. But he did race and he came home in second place after running behind Rubens Barrichello who was to retire in the closing laps.

With only this race and the Japanese GP to go in the 2002 season Ferrari will be hoping to maintain their fantastic record this season. And after dominating in Monza they will be keen to put on the same sort of show for their American fans. Michael Schumacher who has taken 10 wins out of 15 this season has yet to retire from a race, in fact this record stretches back to Germany 2001 and he will be hoping that he can once again bring it home. This time however he will be hoping to be ahead of Rubens Barrichello who took the spoils at Monza.

Barrichello himself will be hoping to maintain that winning feeling for the rest of the season and give himself a massive boost for the winter months. With his win at Monza Rubens has all but made certain of second place in the drivers title. Montoya would need to win the remaining two races to have any chance of overhauling the Brazilian. And with that position secured many Ferrari fans are hoping to see them both run the same race strategy and have a race without team orders. However Ross Brawn has hinted that no such thing will happen and that the team’s points are more important. And with Ferrari aiming to smash the constructor’s point record then it seems likely the pace will be controlled when allowed.

Threats to Ferrari in the US should emerge in some shape or form from the BMW Williams team once again. BMW are hoping to race with their qualifying engine from Monza but with so many problems seen at the Barcelona test then it seem doubtful that they would be able to last a race distance with it. But the fireworks are sure to be nice if they do. McLaren should be a lot stronger at Indy than they were at Monza and them and Williams are likely to be battling it out on Sunday while Ferrari lead the way.