Louis Foster continued to impress in his rookie NTT IndyCar Series campaign with a commanding qualifying performance at the Sonsio Grand Prix.
The British driver secured third on the grid—his best result yet—capping off a historic day for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL), who saw all three of their cars reach the Fast Six for the first time in team history.
Familiar grounds for Foster
Foster’s affinity for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course has been well-documented. He previously won at the circuit in both Indy Pro 2000 and INDY NXT, and that knowledge played a key role in his event preparation.
“Yeah, obviously a lot,” Foster said, speaking to the media including Fastest Formula News. “This is the first track I’ve come to in INDYCAR that I’ve actually won in a junior category. The previous rounds, two of them I had never raced at and the other two I had never won at. I know this track really well. It’s always been quoted as a European-esque track. Europeans tend to do well here, et cetera.”
Despite the personal connection to the track, Foster was quick to praise the RLL crew for their role in making the Fast Six result possible.
“Look, honestly, at the end of the day all the credit is to the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing crew and the engineers,” he said. “I think it’s clear today when we have all three of us in the Fast Six. I did my job, but they definitely did their job as well. So massive credit to them.”
Foster says there’s “still more to get”
Though his qualifying form has been strong throughout the season, Foster acknowledged that executing in race conditions has remained a work in progress.
“We’ll see how the race goes. I’ve had pretty good qualifying results so far this year, but the races have been — there’s still more to get there for sure,” he admitted.
“Being a rookie in INDYCAR is very difficult. We’ll see how the race plays out. I think we have a good understanding of what we’re going to do tomorrow. Yeah, just need to get a good result honestly. See how the race plays out and try and get some points on the board.”
Carrying momentum into Indy 500 preparation
The Sonsio Grand Prix not only closes out the early road course phase of the season—it acts as the final litmus test before attention turns fully to the Indianapolis 500. Foster is hoping this strong qualifying showing will set the tone for the month of May.
“I think obviously momentum is big in racing,” he said. “I mean, look at what (indiscernible) is doing right now. They’re just rocking on through to the weekend. I’m hoping we can carry that momentum into the Indy 500 testing.”
Foster also expressed confidence in RLL’s oval pace, thanks in large part to a productive test with team-mate and two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato.
“As I said earlier, we had a good test here. Takuma was rapid,” Foster explained. “From my rookie time ever on this circuit, the 500, we were quick, t/he 45. Graham and Dev are both really quick, and they both knew exactly where their time loss was. We figured some things out also in the race running later in the day. Yeah, I think we’ve got a pretty strong car for the 500.”
Still, Foster remains realistic about interpreting test results, particularly in a paddock known for sandbagging ahead of Indy.
“I don’t know how the open testing plays out. It’s my first time. I didn’t know who was sand bagging, who wasn’t, et cetera. When I walked in the driver’s room, and he was smiling cheek to cheek, I knew it was good, so…”
A rookie on the rise
Louis Foster’s third-place grid slot at the Sonsio GP marks a turning point in his debut IndyCar campaign. It not only underlines his pace and maturity but also signals the upward trajectory of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
As the paddock prepares for the Month of May, Foster is quickly becoming a name to watch—not just for the future, but for the present.
