GRR

2025 IndyCar drivers and teams

26th September 2024
Ben Miles

The 2024 IndyCar championship is over, and yet again it was Alex Palou who came out on top, finishing off his third championship, second in a row, and in the process becoming the second-youngest ever to win three. But, given the court machinations that have gone on around the Spaniard over the last few years, where will he be driving in 2025? And what about the rest of the field? Let’s take a look at the state of play.

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Updated: Thursday, 26th September.

Which drivers are staying at the same IndyCar team for 2025?

Let’s go through this in alphabetical order:

A.J. Foyt racing will retain Santino Ferrucci for 2025 after a successful 2024 saw the controversial young American finish ninth overall.

Andretti Global will retain Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson. Herta re-found some of the form he appeared to have lost in the wilderness of 2023 to finish as season runner-up, and while Kirkwood failed to follow up with more victories after his two in 2023, he improved overall to finish seventh. Ericsson had a difficult first year with Andretti, but the former Indy 500 winner is deemed worthy of another season.

Chip Ganassi Racing retains Alex Palou after its long legal battle to keep him – a fight which is still rumbling on as McLaren seeks to claim damages from Palou for the failed move. We absolutely expect Scott Dixon to be kept on, but he’s not done so yet.

McLaren keeps two of the drivers that raced for it in 2024. Pato O’Ward stays for another season in Papaya, a no brainer given just how far clear of his team-mates he was this year (94 points). Nolan Siegel was brought in mid-season and, while he has struggled a little, was always seen as a long-term project for the team.

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At Meyer Shank, Felix Rosenqvist was considered such a success this year that he’s just been handed a new multi-year contract. 

Rahal Letterman Lanigan racing will retain Graham Rahal, an outcome that seemed strangely remote just a few months ago given that he’s the son of team-owner Bobby Rahal. Graham had a pretty awful 2024, even hinting that his time at RLL might be over from time-to-time, but ended up electing to stay.

Finally, Team Penske retains the same driving line-up that has served it well for the last few seasons. A catastrophic weekend at Milwaukee saw Josef Newgarden drop from title contender to a lowly eighth-place finish by season end, but he took his second Indy 500 win in a row with a stunning late victory in May.

Will Power roared back from an off 2023 to being the only realistic title challenger to Palou by the end of ‘24, his title challenge stifled by the odd mix of his own team-mate and some seatbelts. Scott McLaughlin took three wins on his way to his best season in IndyCar – third for the second year in a row, but with 505 points despite being disqualified from the first round thanks to the Penske push-to-pass scandal.

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Which IndyCar drivers have moved to new teams for 2025?

David Malukas, the man around whom so much controversy and conversation swirled through 2024, much of it not really his own fault, will switch to A.J. Foyt Racing for 2025, replacing Sting Ray Robb.

Christian Lundgaard jumps from his home of the last three seasons, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, to make the step to McLaren, replacing the outgoing Alexander Rossi in 2025, who himself has made the move to Ed Carpenter Racing alongside Christian Rasmussen.

Callum Ilott raced for McLaren on and off in 2024, filling in for the injured David Malukas for the early rounds when his WEC commitments with Jota allowed. In 2025 he will be the first person to race for Prema in IndyCar as the junior formula legend makes its debut.

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Which IndyCar drivers do not have a drive for 2025 yet?

Well, Scott Dixon doesn’t, technically. But that’s about as likely to be the outcome as Chip Ganassi handing me the number nine car for 2025.

Kyffin Simpson and Linus Lundqvist are both currently out of contract at Chip Ganassi Racing. The team has made the public decision to drop from five cars to three in 2025, leaving only one seat realistically available for its remaining drivers for 2025. Given Lundqvist was the Rookie of the Year in 2024, he would be unlucky if Ganassi dropped him. Kyffin Simpson wasn’t too far behind, and seems to have impressed enough to be the frontrunner.

Conor Daly had a bit of a fairytale ending to 2024, after he stepped in to replace Agustín Canapino at Juncos Hollinger and finally clinched his second-ever IndyCar podium, eight years after his first. Rinus Veekay, Romain Grosjean and Pietro Fittipaldi are among the established IndyCar names currently without a 2025 contract, while rookies Théo Pourchaire, Christian Rasmussen and Tom Blomqvist are also without drives for 2025. 

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Which teams still have spaces to fill?

Chip Ganassi racing has one, Dale Coyne has both of its seats up for grabs, Prema one, Rahal Letterman Lanigan two, and Juncos Hollinger two. 

Are any other drivers in contention for an IndyCar seat in 2025?

Juri Vips raced once in IndyCar in 2024, and is in contention for a more permanent return in 2025. That showcases the pull that IndyCar has for drivers currently in the European junior ladder, requiring less personal sponsorship for entry and perhaps having a bit more space for younger drivers to make a name for themselves. So, expect to see plenty of names from Formula 2 and even Formula 3 being linked with drives, especially with Prema in IndyCar given how many junior drivers it will still be running into the new season. 

Valtteri Bottas has been linked in recent weeks with a move, as inevitably has Kevin Magnussen – who has experience racing in the US after a season with Ganassi in IMSA. F3 driver Sophia Floersch was seen in the IndyCar paddock at the final race in Nashville. 

Finally, Runaway IndyNXT champion Louis Foster will be looking at how to use the big cheque that came his way with that title to get his foot in the door in the big leagues.

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Any more changes to IndyCar in 2025?

The only real change is that the new 2.4-litre hybrid engines will be used in every race. The engine was introduced mid-season in 2024, to some mixed reviews, and will become standard in 2025. The chassis will remain the same Dallara DW12 that’s been in use since 2012, with the universal aero kit that was introduced in 2018.

Where can I watch IndyCar in 2025?

Unsure in the UK right now, but you would hope that Sky will extend its rights to show the series again taking the local broadcast.

In the US, there’s a complete change for 2025. IndyCar has been shown on NBC, or an NBC-owned channel since 2009. But that deal ended at the end of the 2024 season and IndyCar signed a new multi-year deal with Fox Sports to begin at the start of the new season. 

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Rossi, Rasmussen and Carpenter complete ECR line-up for 2025

Alexander Rossi will join Ed Carpenter Racing for 2025 after leaving McLaren, as Christian Rasmussen steps up to a full-season in the #21 car and team-owner Ed Carpenter returns for another tilt at the Indy 500.

Rossi leaves McLaren after two unproductive years that yielded just two podiums and a highest championship finish of ninth. He’ll be hoping to rekindle a career that seemed much more promising in the early days of his time at Andretti. Rasmussen impressed in his rookie season with ECR, finishing on the rookie list only behind the two youngsters blessed with Ganassi drives. That has earned him a full-time ride in the #21 for the new season, while owner Ed Carpenter again returns for his yearly oval outings, this time restricted to just the Indy 500. Rossi will drive the #20 car for the new season, as both he and Rasmussen sign multi year deals.

2025 IndyCar drivers and teams

Team

Engine

Driver

A.J. Foyt Racing

Chevrolet

14. Santino Ferrucci

TBC. David Malukas

Andretti Global

Honda

26. Colton Herta

27. Kyle Kirkwood

28. Marcus Ericsson

McLaren

Chevrolet

5. Pato O’Ward

6. Nolan Siegel

7. Christian Lundgard

McLaren/Hendrick

Chevrolet

17. Kyle Larson (Indy 500)

Chip Ganassi Racing

Honda

8. TBC

9. TBC

10. Alex Palou

Dale Coyne Racing

Honda

18. TBC

TBC. TBC

Ed Carpenter Racing

Chevrolet

20. Alexander Rossi 

21. Christian Rasmussen

Juncos Hollinger Racing

Chevrolet

77. TBC

78. TBC

Meyer Shank Racing

Honda

60. Felix Rosenqvist

66. Marcus Armstrong

Prema Racing

Chevrolet

83. Callum Ilott

90. TBC

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Honda

15. Graham Rahal

30. TBC

45. TBC

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Veekay to leave ECR

Rinus Veekay will leave Ed Carpenter Racing after five years with the team, he confirmed yesterday (23rd September). Veekay’s contract had been due to expire at the end of the 2024 season and the Dutch one-time winner chose to leave after 80 races with the team.

Veekay’s entire IndyCar career has been spent with ECR so far, amassing one race win and four podiums. But the last two seasons have been less productive for the partnership, bringing only nine top 10 finishes and a best of fifth in Iowa this season.The 24-year-old has yet to announce what his plans for 2025 will be.

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Armstrong joins Meyer Shank for 2025

Chip Ganassi Racing refugee Marcus Armstrong will join Meyer Shank Racing for the 2025 IndyCar series. The 24-year-old from New Zealand raced for Ganassi for the last two seasons, following his IndyCar debut in 2023. He initially raced only on road courses in ’23 before stepping up to a full-season seat in 2024. While he improved in 2024, finishing the season 14th and capturing his first IndyCar podium finish, the team’s decision to trim from five cars down to three for the new season left him without a confirmed drive for the 2024.

Now, he has joined Meyer Shank to partner current driver Felix Rosenqvist in the team’s second car, which has been vacated after David Malukas signed for AJ Foyt for 2024. Speaking of the switch, Armstrong said: “I’m very proud to be joining Meyer Shank Racing in 2025. I had a great feeling when I met both Mike Shank and Jim Meyer, their passion for performance and meticulous work ethic was obvious from our first conversation and I want to thank them both for this opportunity. I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone at MSR over the offseason, with the goal of hitting the ground running at the first race of the season in St. Pete.”

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.

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