The 2025 NTT IndyCar Series is scheduled to be the 114th official championship season of American open wheel racing and the 30th season under IndyCar Series sanction. Its showcase event will be the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.
Chip Ganassi Racing driver Álex Palou will enter the season as the defending champion, while Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden is the defending Indianapolis 500 winner.
Background and series news
After IndyCar's television contract with NBC Sports lapsed in 2024, the series signed a new agreement with Fox Sports that will see all races being covered on the Fox Broadcast Network.[1] On January 14, 2025, Fox announced its broadcast team for the 2025 season. Will Buxton was named the lead commentator while Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe, who previously served as analysts for NBC, retained their roles in the new lineup.[2]
On September 23, 2024, IndyCar announced its first ever charter system, which will begin in 2025 and extend until 2031. 25 charters were awarded among all teams that competed full-time in the 2024 season, with a maximum of 3 for each team. Chartered entries are qualified to compete for the 22 Leaders Circle contracts. At every race on the calendar outside of the Indianapolis 500, starting fields were limited to 27 cars, and chartered entries were guaranteed a starting position. Qualification for the Indianapolis 500 would remain open, and no teams would have a guaranteed entry in the 33-car starting field.[N 1][5]
As a new entrant in the series, Prema Racing was excluded from receiving charters. If a race event outside of the Indianapolis 500 were to feature additional cars, those would have to compete against the two Prema cars for the two 'open' spots in the field.[6]
On February 11, Doug Boles was named as the new president of IndyCar, replacing Jay Frye. Boles will also continue to hold his role as president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.[7]
Confirmed entries
The following teams, entries, and drivers are contracted to compete in the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season. All teams will use a spec Dallara DW12 chassis with 2018 universal aero kit and Firestone tires.
R Eligible for Rookie of the Year
Driver changes
Preseason
- On July 2, 2024, Arrow McLaren announced that Christian Lundgaard would replace a departing Alexander Rossi, after Rossi and the team were unable to agree on a new contract.[17]
- On August 13, 2024, A. J. Foyt Racing confirmed it had signed David Malukas full-time on a multi-year deal. Malukas departs Meyer Shank Racing after running the final 10 races of 2024 with them.[8]
- On September 17, 2024, Prema Racing confirmed reports that Callum Ilott would join full-time in the No. 90 entry for the 2025 season. Ilott moves from Jota Sport in the World Endurance Championship and also competed in two IndyCar races in 2024 as an injury substitute for Arrow McLaren.[33]
- On September 19, 2024, Meyer Shank Racing confirmed that it had signed Marcus Armstrong for the 2025 season, replacing David Malukas in the No. 66 entry. Armstrong departs Chip Ganassi Racing after two seasons.[31]
- On September 20, 2024, Racer reported that Ed Carpenter Racing informed Rinus VeeKay that it would end their relationship after five seasons.[40] On September 23, VeeKay confirmed this report via social media.[41]
- On September 25, 2024, Ed Carpenter Racing confirmed its driver line-up, with Alexander Rossi joining the team on a multi-year deal in the No. 20 entry, Christian Rasmussen moving from the No. 20 to the No. 21 entry full-time on a multi-year deal, and owner/driver Ed Carpenter returning to an Indy 500-only role in a third entry.[25]
- On October 9, 2024, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced the signing of 2024 Indy NXT Champion Louis Foster to a multi-year deal, in the No. 45 entry, replacing Lundgaard.
- On October 30, 2024, Chip Ganassi Racing confirmed reports that Kyffin Simpson would move from the No. 4 entry to the No. 8, taking the place of a departing Linus Lundqvist.
- On November 5, 2024, Prema Racing confirmed reports that it had signed Robert Shwartzman to fill its second race seat for the 2025 season. Shwartzman moves from AF Corse in the FIA World Endurance championship.[32]
- On November 20, 2024, Juncos Hollinger Racing announced the signing of Sting Ray Robb to one of its entries for the 2025 season. He was later confirmed to be assigned to the No. 77 entry.[27]
- On December 4, 2024, DRR-Cusick Motorsports confirmed its Indy 500 lineup, with Jack Harvey joining the team in the No. 24 car at the Indianapolis 500.[24]
- On December 9, RLL confirmed Devlin DeFrancesco to drive its third entry, replacing Pietro Fittipaldi after one season.[35]
- On December 18, 2024, Juncos Hollinger Racing confirmed that Conor Daly would drive the No. 78 entry full-time in 2025, after driving it part-time in 2024, and replacing a departing Romain Grosjean.[28]
- On January 13, 2025, Dale Coyne announced that Jacob Abel would drive the No. 51 entry full-time, moving from Indy NXT.[22]
Team changes
Preseason
- On April 9, 2024, Italian junior formula and endurance racing team Prema Racing announced it would enter two full-time entries in IndyCar in 2025, having secured a supply of Chevrolet engines.[42][43]
- On August 19, 2024, Meyer Shank Racing confirmed that it would be switching technical alliance partners from Andretti Global to Chip Ganassi Racing, having been with Andretti since 2020.[44]
- On September 4, 2024, Racer reported that Chip Ganassi Racing would downsize its IndyCar operation from five to three cars.[45]
- On January 3, 2025, Arrow McLaren announced that McLaren Group had purchased the remaining 25% stake of the team from Sam Schmidt and Ric Peterson as of December 31, 2024.[46]
- On January 13, 2025, Ed Carpenter Racing announced a rebrand ahead of the season, with the team being known as "ECR" going forward. Additionally, the team confirmed that investor Ted Gelov had been named chairman.[26]
- On January 13, 2025 with the confirmation of Jacob Abel to the No. 51 entry, the Dale Coyne's partnership with Rick Ware Racing has ended, reverting the Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing entry name back to Dale Coyne Racing.
Schedule
The schedule was released on June 13, 2024.[1]
O Oval/Speedway
R Road course
S Street circuit
Schedule changes
- The race at the Thermal Club that was the non-championship $1 Million Challenge in 2024 will become a full points-paying race in 2025.
- The Milwaukee Mile, which hosted a double-header in 2024, will only host a single race in 2025.
- The race at World Wide Technology Raceway will move from August to June.
See also
Footnotes
- ^ The Leaders Circle program provides approximately $1 million dollars to the top-22 eligible entries by entrant points at the end of a season, in what has been described by sources as a "socialized financial incentive program"[3][4].
- ^ Technical partnership with Team Penske.
- ^ Larson is considered a Rookie in the IndyCar Series as he has competed in less than eight IndyCar series races; however, he is not a rookie for the 2025 Indianapolis 500 as he participated in the 2024 Indianapolis 500.
- ^ Technical partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing.
References
- ^ a b Pruett, Marshall (June 13, 2024). "IndyCar signs multiyear broadcast deal with FOX". racer.com. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ "Buxton to lead FOX IndyCar broadcast team with Hinchliffe, Bell". RACER. January 14, 2025. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
- ^ Pruett, Marshall (January 17, 2024). "IndyCar to increase Leaders Circle payouts for 2024". RACER. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
- ^ Blackstock, Elizabeth (September 16, 2024). "Leaders Circle: The IndyCar championship you may not know about". PlanetF1. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
- ^ Martin, Bruce. "IndyCar Announces Charter System". Forbes. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ Pruett, Marshall (September 23, 2024). "IndyCar charter program launches after final team owners sign". RACER. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ^ "Doug Boles Named President of INDYCAR, IMS". indycar.com. Brickyard Trademarks, Inc. February 11, 2025. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
- ^ a b Brown, Nathan. "David Malukas lands multi-year deal with AJ Foyt Racing starting in 2025". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ "Ferrucci To Stay with AJ Foyt Racing in 2025". IndyCar.com. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
- ^ Fryer, Jenna (October 25, 2022). "Herta signs 4-year Andretti IndyCar extension through 2027". AP NEWS. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ Pruett, Marshall (September 26, 2023). "Kirkwood extends deal with Andretti". RACER. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ^ Benyon, Jack (August 23, 2023). "Ericsson to leave Ganassi for IndyCar rival Andretti". The Race. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
- ^ "How Andretti Global is preparing for an IndyCar future without Michael". RACER. October 23, 2024. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
- ^ Martin, Bruce. "Marco Andretti Will Return For 20th Indy 500 Start In 2025". Forbes. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
- ^ "O'Ward signs contract extension with AMSP". racer.com. May 27, 2022. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ "Arrow McLaren signs Nolan Siegel to multiyear contract, set to race Laguna Seca onward". www.mclaren.com. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ a b Fryer, Jenna (July 2, 2024). "Arrow McLaren to replace Rossi with Lundgaard in yet another driver lineup change for IndyCar team". AP News. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^ Brown, Nathan. "Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports returning for 2025 Indy 500 despite rollercoaster debut". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Chip Ganassi Racing finalizes its 2025 lineups for IndyCar and Indy NXT programs". www.motorsport.com. October 30, 2024. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
- ^ Barnes, Joey (September 18, 2024). "Ganassi's take on the charters: IndyCar "benefitting" from Penske's NASCAR experience". Motorsport.com. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
- ^ "Seven things we learned as McLaren escalates Palou claim to $30m". The Race. February 28, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ a b Pruett, Marshall (January 13, 2025). "Coyne signs Abel for full IndyCar season". RACER. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- ^ "2025 Lineup Scorecard: Seats Filling Quickly". IndyCar.com. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Hunter-Reay, Harvey To Drive for DRR/Cusick at Indy 500". IndyCar.com. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Brown, Nathan; Newell, Nat. "Alexander Rossi joins Ed Carpenter Racing; Carpenter only doing Indy 500". USA TODAY. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Pruett, Marshall. "ECR rebrands ahead of 2025 IndyCar season". RACER. Racer Media & Marketing, inc. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- ^ a b Newell, Nat. "Sting Ray Robb signed by Juncos Hollinger Racing IndyCar team". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Pruett, Marshall (December 18, 2024). "Daly lands full-time IndyCar ride with Juncos Hollinger". RACER. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
- ^ Balsa, Daniel (May 26, 2024). "Hélio Castroneves ended his participation in the 2024 Indy 500 by announcing that he will run the 2025 edition: "See you next year". lineup". grandepremio.com.br.
- ^ Pruett, Marshall (September 5, 2023). "Rosenqvist signs multiyear IndyCar deal with Meyer Shank Racing". Racer.com.
- ^ a b Newell, Nat (September 19, 2024). "Meyer Shank Racing adds Marcus Armstrong to 2025 IndyCar driver lineup". indystar.com.
- ^ a b Benyon, Jack (November 5, 2024). "Another Ferrari F1 junior heads to IndyCar - all you need to know". The Race. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
- ^ a b Wilde, Dominik (September 17, 2024). "Ilott becomes first PREMA IndyCar driver". RACER. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ Barnes, Joey (November 13, 2023). "Rahal signs multi-year deal to remain with Rahal Letterman Lanigan". Autosport. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ^ a b Pruett, Marshall (December 9, 2024). "DeFrancesco to make IndyCar return with RLL". RACER. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ "Indy NXT champion Foster signs multi-year deal with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing". www.motorsport.com. October 9, 2024. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
- ^ Brown, Nathan. "Days after 2nd Indy 500 win, Josef Newgarden, Team Penske announce multi-year contract extension". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ Pruett, Marshall (August 2, 2024). "IndyCar silly season update, August 2". Racer.com. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
- ^ Martin, Bruce (March 31, 2023). "Power Signs Multi-Year Extension With Team Penske". SPEED SPORT. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ Pruett, Marshall (September 20, 2024). "VeeKay departs Ed Carpenter Racing". RACER. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ Dejewski, Kevin (September 23, 2024). "Rinus VeeKay parts with ECR after five IndyCar seasons together". Motorsport Week. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ "PREMA Racing To Join NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2025". IndyCar.com. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ "PREMA Picks 83, 90 as Car Numbers for First Season in 2025". IndyCar.com. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ Pruett, Marshall (August 19, 2024). "Meyer Shank shifts IndyCar alliance from Andretti to Ganassi". RACER. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
- ^ "Chip Ganassi Racing confirms IndyCar downsizing, plans Indy NXT return". RACER. September 4, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
- ^ "McLaren Takes Sole Ownership of INDYCAR SERIES Team". IndyCar.com. IndyCar.com. January 3, 2025. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
Sources
- NTT IndyCar Series Official Rulebook (PDF). IndyCar Series, Brickyard Trademarks, Inc. March 5, 2024. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
