Alexander Rossi will return to the cockpit at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday for Carb Day final practice and remains on schedule to start Sunday's 110th Indianapolis 500 from the front row, his Ed Carpenter Racing team has confirmed.
The 2016 Indy 500 winner spent more than 90 minutes inside the Indianapolis infield medical centre and was then transported to a local hospital after a three-car crash during Monday's practice session. Rossi spun and made contact with the Turn 2 wall in heavy traffic, before Pato O'Ward, who had been caught in the dust, ran into him from the side. Romain Grosjean, arriving moments later, then spun out and hit the wall behind them.
Ed Carpenter Racing said Rossi had been treated for injuries to a finger on his left hand and his right ankle, and confirmed there were no additional injuries beyond those identified at the medical centre.
"Rossi is in good spirits and has no additional injuries," the team said in a Monday evening statement. "The No. 20 Java House Chevrolet crew will prepare a backup car (for Rossi) and return to the track for final practice on Friday, May 22."
Rossi himself confirmed his frame of mind on Tuesday morning with a typically dry social-media post.
"Morning, what did I miss? Anyway, see you @CrackerBarrel for @AskOffTrack live," he wrote on X.
IndyCar's own statement, issued an hour and a half after the crash, indicated Rossi had been awake and alert at the medical centre before the precautionary hospital transfer. "Alexander Rossi is being transported to a local hospital for further evaluation, per Dr. Julia Vaizer, IndyCar medical director," the series said, adding that he had been "awake and alert, and in good spirits."
O'Ward and Grosjean were both released from the infield medical centre on Monday and confirmed they were physically unhurt, even if shaken by the incident.
"I'm alright. I'm good," O'Ward said. "Just wrong place, wrong time. I've had plenty of hits here, so I'll be able to get back in it just like nothing happened, and I know my guys will be able to replace whatever it is that's damaged to make sure that we're right back where we were."
Grosjean was just as direct, with his sense of humour intact. He said he was "good," then joked he was "better 10 minutes ago, right?" before the conversation turned more serious. "Most importantly everyone is okay," he said. "It happens. Rossi spun. Pato spun. Not ideal, wrong place, wrong time."
O'Ward will start Sunday's Indy 500 from the second row in sixth position. Grosjean qualified on the eighth row in 24th. Rossi, who survived qualifying weekend with his front-row starting position intact, will line up second on the grid alongside Honda's Alex Palou and McLaren's Patricio O'Ward, putting the 2016 winner in genuine contention from the drop of the green.
Friday's Miller Lite Carb Day session is the field's only on-track activity before the green flag and a critical hour for any team rolling out a freshly-built car. ECR will be checking the No. 20 chassis in race trim, race fuel runs and traffic, with Rossi expected to be on a methodical run plan rather than a balls-out qualifying-style attack. The backup Java House Chevrolet has not been used in anger this month, meaning Carb Day is also where Rossi's crew chief and engineers will reset the setup window in real time.
The 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24 with Palou on pole. The race is also threatened by the same Memorial Day weekend weather system that is sweeping across the Midwest and Carolinas, with the forecast over Indianapolis improving in recent days but still under watch by IndyCar.
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*Originally published on [Motorsports Global](https://motorsports.global/article/alexander-rossi-carb-day-return-witty-response-indy-500-2026). Visit for full coverage.*
