IndyCar’s remaining seats for 2025 and sure prospects

There are 4 remaining full-time seats on the grid for the IndyCar Sequence 2025 season, with greater than a handful of gifted drivers vying for a spot. Here’s a breakdown of what we’re listening to, in addition to ideas in relation to taking part in the chess board of the panorama.

Juncos Hollinger Racing

JHR already introduced Sting Ray Robb as one in all its two drivers for subsequent yr. Whereas some thought Romain Grosjean would return, particularly after main the staff to its first best-ever IndyCar outcome with a fourth at Laguna Seca final season. He’s among the many shortlist of candidates however not the favourite. 

As issues stand, Conor Daly is the frontrunner for taking the seat alongside Robb, with an announcement doubtlessly coming someday within the subsequent week. A local Hoosier, Daly constructed up a fast synergy with the group final season, regardless of becoming a member of for the ultimate 5 rounds after the staff parted methods with Agustin Canapino midseason. Daly’s podium in Milwaukee helped pushed JHR again into the Leaders Circle  — the highest 22 in entrant factors that’s price $1 million.

Past Daly and Grosjean, the opposite driver on JHR’s shortlist is latest Ed Carpenter Racing castoff Rinus VeeKay. 

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Pietro Fittipaldi, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda

Photograph by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Photos

Graham Rahal and Louis Foster, the 2024 Indy NXT champion, are already set at RLL for 2025, with one seat left to occupy its three-car roster. Though Pietro Fittipaldi, who drove the third entry final season, may return, all indicators level to the staff shifting a special path. Of word, Fittpaldi just lately signed with Pratt Miller Motorsports as a part of an LMP2 run in IMSA subsequent yr, teaming alongside Andretti World Indy NXT driver James Roe. 

Former Purple Bull Formulation 1 junior driver Jüri Vips made two begins with RLL in 2023, however misplaced out on a full-time drive this previous season. Nevertheless, he was stored on the roster in additional of a developmental function earlier than making a one-off look at Portland. RLL co-owner Bobby Rahal has constantly given Vips endurance and reward, which may see a payoff with a full-time drive. 

With that mentioned, the most important hurdle maintaining Vips from the seat is funding, which is why the driving force in play might be Devlin DeFrancesco, who final raced in IndyCar in 2023 with Andretti World. Throughout my visitor spot final week on “Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee,” it was shared by Lee, a very long time IndyCar reporter and announcer for NBC, that DeFrancesco was a serious candidate being thought of by RLL. 

Dale Coyne Racing

Katherine Legge, Dale Coyne Racing Honda

Photograph by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Photos

There may be maybe no larger run of routine musical chairs than that of the staff owned by Dale Coyne. It’s, certainly, the reward that retains on giving in relation to random names from random locations, but additionally discovering diamonds within the tough [see Alex Palou]. 

In some ways, the 2025 season may look similar to this previous marketing campaign in having a rotation of drivers in each seats — though there isn’t any doubt a quest to have not less than one full-time competitor. So, with a slew of drivers to select from, that is the almost definitely vacation spot for a number of part-time efforts that may mix for 2 full-time entries. 

After testing with the staff at Indianapolis Motor Speedway final month, Veekay may see a while in a Coyne seat. One other chance is Grosjean returning. He final drove for the staff in his part-time introduction to IndyCar in 2021. 

Toby Sowery, who impressed in his three outings with the staff final season, is more likely to return in some capability. The Briton additionally just lately examined for DCR at The Thermal Membership earlier this month. 

And there may be intrigue to see what may materialize with maintaining the Fittipaldi title on the grid. Pietro, who has a superb relationship with Coyne, drove part-time for the staff in 2018 and 2021. Moreover, although, his brother, Enzo, examined with Coyne in October of 2023 and is close to the top of a 3rd full-time marketing campaign in Formulation 2.

One other title that’s doubtlessly going to be within the cockpit in some capability is Hunter McElrea, who made one begin with Coyne final season at Toronto. There was little point out of 2022 Indy NXT champion Linus Lundqvist, who scored two podiums throughout his rookie marketing campaign earlier than being let go by Chip Ganassi Racing. However funding, as it’s for a lot of, is the most important hurdle for the Swede.

It’s identified that Jacob Abel, runner-up for the 2024 Indy NXT title, is pushing exhausting for a full-time seat at Coyne subsequent season. He examined with the staff at Sebring roughly a yr in the past and was additionally in CGR equipment earlier this month testing at Texas Motor Speedway. 

Jack Harvey, Dale Coyne Racing Honda

Photograph by: Geoffrey M. Miller / Motorsport Photos

Though Jack Harvey was a big a part of DCR this previous yr, making 14 begins, the considered his function shifting ahead modified after just lately signing with Dreyer & Reinbold for a one-off for subsequent yr’s Indianapolis 500. 

Amongst others that have been probably hopefuls unlikely to discover a place on the grid subsequent yr, not less than in regularity, are ex-Williams F1 driver Logan Sargeant, who examined an Indy automobile with Meyer Shank Racing at The Thermal Membership earlier this month. He, together with three-time W-Sequence champion and Indy NXT race winner Jamie Chadwick, just lately signed with packages within the European Le Mans Sequence, which options a number of scheduling conflicts with IndyCar in 2025.