Hélio Castroneves

Helio Castroneves is a highly experienced IndyCar driver, best known for winning the Indy 500 four times (2001, 2002, 2009, and 2021). Over his long career, the Brazilian driver won 25 races, stood on the podium 84 times, and secured an impressive 48 pole positions.

Debut in Champ Car

After two seasons in Indy Lights, Hélio Castroneves made his Champ Car debut in 1998 with Bettenhausen Racing. A year later, he moved to Hogan Racing. Although his 17th and 15th finishes in the championship standings did not make a strong impression, he was given the opportunity in 2000 to take over the seat of the late Greg Moore at Penske. This marked his big breakthrough. Over the next two seasons, he won six Champ Car races and made a one-time appearance in the IRL, claiming victory in the 2001 Indy 500.

Switch to the IRL

When Penske Racing transitioned to the IRL in 2002, Castroneves followed his team. He had a strong season, winning his second Indy 500 and finishing second in the championship. Over the next five seasons, he could not replicate these results. In 2008, he came close to winning the championship again but finished second, just 17 points behind Scott Dixon. It took another five years before he was a serious title contender again.

Challenging years and recovery

The 2011 season proved to be a low point for Castroneves. For the first time since 1999, he failed to win a single race and finished outside the top ten in the standings. In 2012, he rebounded by winning the first race of the season, followed later by a second victory. In 2013, he claimed one win and four podiums, but a series of misfortunes in the final races left him finishing second in the championship once again.

Close calls and declining performance

In 2014, Castroneves competed in his 15th season with Team Penske. As in 2013, he was a title contender, but his performance declined in the second half of the season, resulting in another second-place finish in the championship. In 2015, he went winless for the first time since 2011 and finished fifth overall. In 2016 and 2017, he delivered strong performances, with several top-ten finishes and one win in 2017. He concluded that season in fourth place in the championship.

Transition to IMSA and occasional IndyCar appearances

Despite his consistent fight for titles, Roger Penske decided in 2018 to reduce the team's full-time cars by one, ending Castroneves' full-time IndyCar career with Penske. He remained active in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and participated in the IndyCar Grand Prix and Indy 500 for Penske in 2018 and 2019.

In 2020, Castroneves competed only in the Indy 500 for Penske. Later that year, he substituted for Oliver Askew at Arrow McLaren SP during the INDYCAR Harvest GP, as Askew was recovering from a concussion. The season still became memorable as Castroneves, alongside teammate Ricky Taylor, won the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship title—his first major title outside his Indy 500 victories.

Fourth Indy 500 victory

In 2021, Castroneves returned to the IndyCar Series on a part-time basis with Meyer Shank Racing, participating in six races. During the Indy 500, he made history by winning the race for the fourth time, joining the exclusive group of four-time winners: A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, and Rick Mears. He also became the first non-American driver to achieve this milestone.

Full-time return with Meyer Shank Racing

Following the success of 2021, Castroneves returned to the IndyCar Series full-time in 2022 and 2023 with Meyer Shank Racing. However, the seasons were not successful, yielding only four top-ten finishes over two years. His best result came in the 2022 Indy 500, where he finished seventh.

New role as co-owner and driver

After the 2023 season, Castroneves became a co-owner of Meyer Shank Racing. This did not mark the end of his driving career. In 2024, at the age of 49, he competed in the Indy 500 and substituted for Tom Blomqvist in two other races. Although his performances were modest, Castroneves is set to race in the 2025 Indy 500 for Meyer Shank Racing.