2025 NTT IndyCar Series Preview

It remains to be seen if Alex Palou will go back-to-back-to-back in 2025, but can anyone afford to bet against it? At the ripe young age of 27, Palou has already etched his name into history as one of the greatest drivers to grace American open-wheel racing, earning three titles in his first five seasons of IndyCar competition. Those with more championship success? A short list of legendary drivers: A.J. Foyt (7), Scott Dixon (6), Dario Franchitti (4), Sebastien Bourdais (4), Mario Andretti (4). Palou won his titles through deadly consistency and cleanliness, keeping his car intact to rack up steadily strong finishes that complement his more-than-infrequent wins. The Spaniard wouldn’t be unreasonable to already be naming himself as the 2025 champion in his mind.

There are a number of former champions throughout the field that should be classified as threats to a Palou three-peat. Will Power, Josef Newgarden, and Scott Dixon were all in strong form in 2024, despite the latter two seeing a drop in their points results from the prior year. Dixon and Newgarden grabbed two wins apiece while Power took three for himself. All three will be seeking to show that the IndyCar veteran class may still have a thing or two to teach Palou come 2025.

As for those in the field who have yet to claim a title, Scott McLaughlin, Colton Herta, and Pato O’Ward are all forces to be reckoned with. Were it not for his disqualification in St. Petersburg, we would introduce Scott McLaughlin as the 2024 IndyCar champion. The path of near-constant improvement McLaughlin has been walking since his 2021 debut arguably makes him the strongest all-around driver in the field. O’Ward, meanwhile, matched McLaughlin’s total of three wins but lacked the required consistency to make a run for the title. Herta, after a dismal 2023, rebounded with wins at Toronto and Nashville paired with an improved sense of composure to charge to a runner-up points finish.

Behind these challengers, several major moves have been confirmed for 2025.

The most notable one surrounds 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi departing Arrow McLaren to take up a full-time ride at Ed Carpenter Racing. There, he’ll partner with IndyCar sophomore Christian Rasmussen in a bid to end the team’s three-year winless drought.

It’s hard to imagine Rossi finds improved results with ECR. But he has earned a position as a team leader as he approaches the decade mark of his IndyCar career.

To fill Rossi’s seat at McLaren, Christian Lundgaard departs Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Expect him and new teammate O’Ward to make a formidable combination.

Elsewhere, Marcus Armstrong leaves a downsizing Chip Ganassi Racing and takes over the No. 66 entry of Meyer Shank Racing, which was piloted by David Malukas through the second half of the season. Malukas makes his full-time return to IndyCar competition with A.J. Foyt Enterprises after an unceremonious release from Arrow McLaren in the early stages of 2024 while recovering from an offseason injury. He partners with Santino Ferrucci.

Sting Ray Robb, who previously occupied the second Foyt seat, brings a hefty budget to Juncos Hollinger Racing, but it’s too soon to speculate on results as the team has yet to confirm its second seat at the time of publication.

Likewise, Dale Coyne Racing hasn’t confirmed a driver for either of its two entries. This underdog team has long relied on rotating drivers with notable budgets in and out of at least one of its seats throughout a season, using the revolving door of cash to make ends meet. It remains to be seen how Coyne, who rotated six drivers in the No. 51 car in 2024, will cope with the newly mandated limit of three drivers per car, per season.

Prema Racing, IndyCar’s newest team, picks up sports car journeyman Robert Shwartzman to partner with Callum Ilott, who ran part-time with McLaren last year. It marks a homecoming of sorts for Shwartzman, who drove for Prema in various open-wheel feeder series from 2018-21.

The other confirmed newcomer for 2025 is reigning Indy NXT champion Louis Foster. The Brit will join IndyCar through Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, partnering with Graham Rahal and a yet-to-be-confirmed third driver.

At press time, 2024 regulars Linus Lundqvist, Rinus VeeKay, Conor Daly, Jack Harvey, Romain Grosjean, and Pietro Fittipaldi are all out of a job with only four IndyCar seats open for 2025.

IndyCar’s schedule is already among the shortest in motorsports and will be further condensed this season. Less than six months will pass between the season opener at St. Petersburg (March 2) and the finale in Nashville (Aug. 31).

The Thermal Club lands a points-paying race in 2025 after hosting an exhibition marketed as IndyCar’s answer to the NASCAR All-Star Race last year. The event was widely panned by fans and critics for both its lackluster racing product and an underwhelming fan experience – no doubt hindered by its location in a country club. Unfortunately, for fans who hoped the idea would be dead on arrival after 2024, adjustments are being made to the circuit to accommodate a proper IndyCar race, suggesting the series sees a long-term commitment to the venue.

On the topic of tracks that excited fans last year, the Milwaukee Mile returns to the schedule after making a triumphant comeback to IndyCar competition last fall. However, the oldest track in the country now hosts one race in August rather than a doubleheader weekend featuring two short races. Given that short, low-banked ovals were the series’ bread and butter last year after a few kinks with the hybrid power unit were worked out, Milwaukee and the oval at World Wide Technology Raceway are certain to be crowd pleasers this season.

Immediately following the Mile will be Nashville Superspeedway in a return from its surprise insertion into the 2024 schedule in place of the Nashville street circuit. The temporary circuit in downtown Nashville, like Thermal Club, was not well-received by the fans and ongoing construction issues in the area mean the Superspeedway is back on the calendar for the foreseeable future.

NTT INDYCAR TOP 10

1. Alex Palou

Palou pulled a characteristically consistent season out of his hat to take his third IndyCar title in four seasons. His calm demeanor under pressure and impeccable understanding of his car and team will make denying him title number four a tall order.

2. Scott McLaughlin

The New Zealander lost the 2024 title through an off-track error made by his team rather than his performance on it. He will enter the season with a wrong to right and the speed and resources to do so.

3. Will Power

Age is just a number for this two-time champion. The No. 12 team fired on all cylinders for much of last year and, if that trajectory holds, Power only needs to clean up a mistake or two to put together another championship effort.

4. Pato O’Ward

The state of Arrow McLaren remains to be seen, but O’Ward found a three-win redemption in 2024 and should finally have what he needs to lay out a championship challenge, a la 2021.

5. Santino Ferrucci

Despite spearheading A.J. Foyt Enterprises’ strongest season of the 21st century, Ferrucci will be less than satisfied with ninth in the championship. For 2025, the No. 14 driver will be eager to capture his first career IndyCar win and climb further up the standings.

6. Colton Herta

Though he’s still seeking season-long consistency, Herta returned to victory lane twice last year. He showed improved performance under pressure that put a lackluster 2023 behind him.

7. Scott Dixon

Two wins mask a tough season for the Iceman. Solid performances at Indianapolis, Toronto, and Milwaukee remind everyone not to underestimate Dixon, who rides an incredible 20-year streak of at least one win into the 2025 slate.

8. Josef Newgarden

Outdoing the spectacle of his last-lap pass for the Indy 500 win may not be realistic for 2025, but returning to his four-win 2023 dominance of ovals is a reasonable bet.

9. Christian Lundgaard

The Dane outperformed his equipment last year, dragging the No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda to an 11th-place points finish. Moving to McLaren, he will be in race-winning equipment for 2025.

10. Felix Rosenqvist

Rosenqvist started his tenure with Meyer Shank Racing in great form with five top 10s in the first six races. The Swede is feeling at home with this underdog team.