2025 IndyCar Series
The 2025 NTT IndyCar Series was the 114th official championship season of American open-wheel racing and the 30th season under IndyCar Series sanction. Its showcase event was the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500, which was won by Chip Ganassi Racing driver Álex Palou for the first time. Palou also entered the season as the back-to-back defending champion and earned a three-peat. He became the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 and season driver's title in the same year since Dario Franchitti in 2010.
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 saw all races being covered on the Fox broadcast network. On January 14, 2025, Fox announced its broadcast team for the 2025 season. Will Buxton was named the lead commentator, who previously covered Formula One, while Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe, who previously served as analysts for NBC and are also former IndyCar drivers, retained their roles in the new lineup.On September 12, 2024, IndyCar announced that the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company had signed an extension to remain as the series' sole tire supplier.
On September 23, 2024, IndyCar announced its first ever charter system, which began in 2025 and will 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 were 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 remained open, and no teams had a guaranteed entry in the 33-car starting field.
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 had to compete against the two PREMA cars for the two 'open' spots in the field.
On February 11, Doug Boles was named as the new president of IndyCar, replacing Jay Frye. Boles also continued to hold his role as president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Numerous technical violations found during qualifying and the race for the Indianapolis 500, particularly involving the cars of Team Penske, led to the start of an overhaul of IndyCar's officiating system. The series announced after the race that they would create an independent officiating board for race stewarding and technical inspections, in part due to increasing concerns with Roger Penske owning both the IndyCar series and a competing team in the series. The new officiating board was targeted to be ready for the 2026 season. Further, the series announced their intent to begin using a scanning system during inspections to assist with finding possible rules infractions on cars. The new scanning process was rolled out at Portland, where four cars were impounded after the race and scanned to check for technical compliance.
On July 31, 2025, Fox Sports parent company Fox Corporation announced that it had acquired a one-third stake in IndyCar parent company Penske Entertainment. As part of the acquisition, Fox Sports' TV contract was extended to 2030.
Confirmed entries
The following teams, entries, and drivers were contracted to compete in the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season. All teams used a spec Dallara DW12 chassis with 2018 universal aero kit and Firestone tires.Driver changesPreseason
Team changesPreseason
Mid-season
ScheduleThe schedule was released on June 13, 2024.
Schedule changes
Sponsorship changesOn February 21, Hy-Vee announced that they were ending their event sponsorships for Iowa and Milwaukee. Sukup Manufacturing was announced as the new title sponsor for the Iowa race weekend. Snap-on was announced as the new title sponsor for Milwaukee.On June 4, IndyCar announced that the sponsorship name of the Nashville race would be changing from the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix to the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix for 2025 and beyond. On July 1, Java House was announced as the new title sponsor for the Monterey Grand Prix. Season reportOpening roundsTeam Penske's Scott McLaughlin claimed the first pole position of the year at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg ahead of Andretti's Colton Herta, but the race was decided on tire strategy after a first-lap collision involving Penske’s Will Power, McLaren’s Nolan Siegel and RLL’s Louis Foster brought out an early caution. Several frontrunners, including CGR's Álex Palou, dove into the pits to switch off the fragile alternate tire. That set up a decisive advantage as the race would run green to the finish. McLaughlin led the most laps before fading during the following pit cycles and Herta’s fight for the win ended with pit lane issues. CGR’s Scott Dixon briefly looked in control despite running without radio communication, before Palou undercut his teammate during the final round of stops and pulled away. Penske’s Josef Newgarden chased him until lapped traffic allowed Dixon to slip past him for second on the final lap. Palou scored his first St. Petersburg victory, starting off his campaign for a championship three-peat in the best way.McLaren’s Pato O'Ward secured pole position at the Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix ahead of teammate Christian Lundgaard, marking the team’s first front row lockout in their IndyCar history, while all three Penske drivers failed to advance past the opening round of qualifying. O’Ward controlled the opening stints and led a race-high 51 laps, with Lundgaard and Palou running close behind as the race unfolded without interruption. Palou gained ground in the final stint by switching to the alternate tire, overtaking Lundgaard after a prolonged battle before rapidly closing down a near ten-second deficit to O’Ward. He completed the winning move on lap 56 and pulled clear to secure his thirteenth career victory by more than ten seconds. The race ran green from start to finish with only minor incidents, and O’Ward finished second with Lundgaard third, giving McLaren two cars on the podium. Herta and MSR’s Felix Rosenqvist completed the top five as Palou extended his lead in the standings to 39 points over O’Ward. Andretti’s Kyle Kirkwood claimed pole position for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach for the second time, ahead of teammate Herta. The race was the second consecutive event to run caution-free and was therefore shaped by tire and pit strategy on the tight street circuit. Kirkwood and Palou both switched to the primary compound early, trading lap times at the head of the field while Herta slipped back after the first pit sequence. Palou gained ground through an undercut on the final round of stops and emerged close behind Kirkwood, but the Andretti driver held firm under pressure and gradually extended his lead to 2.7 seconds to claim Andretti’s first win of the year at the flag. Lundgaard recovered from twelfth on the grid and a crash in qualifying to finish third after passing Rosenqvist in the closing laps, while Power completed the top five. All 27 cars reached the finish, marking the first yellow-free Long Beach race since 2016, as Kirkwood ended Palou’s winning streak and closed to within 34 points of the championship lead. Palou was back on top in qualifying for the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix, securing pole position ahead of his CGR teammate Marcus Armstrong, with McLaughlin lining up third for Penske. At the start, Palou retained the lead, while Armstrong came under early pressure from McLaughlin and Lundgaard. The race was the third in a row to run without a caution, and differing pit strategies produced several position changes throughout the field. McLaughlin briefly moved ahead during the first cycle, but Palou regained control after the second round of stops, maintaining consistent pace on the primary tire. Behind the leaders, Lundgaard gained ground on the alternate strategy to secure a second consecutive podium, while Armstrong slipped to fourth after losing time in traffic. Herta completed the top five. Further back, rookie Siegel earned his first Fast Six appearance and maiden top-ten finish in ninth. Palou’s third victory in four rounds extended his early advantage in the championship to 60 points over Lundgaard. Round five, the Sonsio Grand Prix, saw Palou double up in qualifying to take pole position once again as RLL's Graham Rahal started alongside him on the front row. At the start, Rahal overtook Palou into turn 1 and controlled much of the first half of the race, leading 49 laps as both drivers followed similar two-stop strategies under the new tire-compound regulations requiring two stints each on primary and alternate tires. Palou remained close behind and regained the lead into turn 7 on Lap 58, pulling away steadily thereafter. The race featured the first mid-race caution since the season opener: A.J. Foyt's David Malukas stopped on course with 16 laps remaining, erasing Palou’s four-second lead and ending a 408-lap stretch of green flag running. On the restart, Palou held off O’Ward, who rose from eighth on the grid to finish second, while Power completed the podium after starting seventh. Palou’s fourth victory in five races extended his dominant start to the season as he headed into the Indianapolis 500 with a 97-point lead. Robert Shwartzman claimed a shock pole position for Prema Racing in his first Indianapolis 500 appearance to become the first rookie polesitter since 1983. RLL'S Takuma Sato and O’Ward completed the front row, while the Penske squad’s weekend was overshadowed by disqualification from qualifying for technical violations that sent Newgarden and Power to the back of the grid and prompted major leadership changes within the team. On race day, delayed by rain, Shwartzman initially held firm but faded quickly before crashing and retiring before half-distance, leaving Andretti's Marcus Ericsson, Palou and Malukas to contest the lead through the final stints. Palou moved into position behind Ericsson in the closing stages and completed a decisive pass with 14 laps remaining, holding off the Swede to finally win the Indy 500 after years of near-misses. Ericsson was later disqualified for an illegal aerodynamic modification, promoting Malukas to second and O’Ward to third. Palou now held a 112-point standings lead after just six races. Mid-season roundsHerta claimed his first pole position since Toronto 2024 in qualifying for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, leading Malukas, who equalled his career-best starting position, and teammate Kirkwood. The race developed into one of the most chaotic events of the season, with frequent cautions and a late red flag disrupting the order. Herta led the early stages, but Kirkwood quickly moved forward and assumed control after passing Siegel, who had briefly cycled to the front on an alternate strategy. Multiple incidents kept the field bunched together, and pit stop timing became decisive as teams juggled tire wear and timing under yellow. Kirkwood maintained track position despite front-wing damage, throughout a late red flag after a heavy crash between Rosenqvist and Foster. He held off Foyt's Santino Ferrucci over the final laps to take his second victory of the season, with Herta completing the podium. Palou retired after contact with Malukas, bringing his three-race winning streak to an end and shortening his championship lead to 90 points.Next up was the Bommarito Automotive Group 500, where Power claimed pole position, his fifth at the track and 71st overall, leading a Team Penske front-row sweep ahead of McLaughlin as championship leader Palou could manage only ninth. At the start, Power initially maintained the lead, but his race ended early when a tire failure sent him into the wall on lap 47. McLaughlin then assumed control until a mechanical issue on lap 216 forced his retirement. The most significant incident came on lap 131, when Foster brushed the wall and slid into the path of leader Newgarden, launching their cars into a heavy collision that saw both retire. Multiple cautions set up a strategic contest between the remaining frontrunners. Dixon briefly led by stretching his fuel, but Kirkwood undercut the leaders during the final pit cycle and emerged ahead. He held off O’Ward to take his first oval victory, with ECR rookie Christian Rasmussen climbing from 25th to finish third. Palou finished eighth, his championship lead shortened again to 73 points. Rookie Foster scored his first career IndyCar pole position at the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America, leading championship contenders Palou and Kirkwood. Sunday’s 55-lap race began amid soaring temperatures and early chaos. Three cautions in the opening ten laps eliminated several contenders, including Malukas and Shwartzman, while a later crash for Newgarden triggered the fourth and final yellow on lap 30. Palou, who had dropped back after contact with Power, recovered through a sequence of timely pit stops and fuel management. Lundgaard appeared to be in control before the caution caused by Newgarden reversed the order, favoring those yet to stop. Dixon once again went for an alternative fuel strategy, which saw him lead briefly before he was forced to pit with two laps remaining. That handed the advantage to Palou, who held on to win ahead of Rosenqvist and Ferrucci despite having to save fuel himself. Kirkwood came fourth, losing ground again to Palou in the standings, where the Spaniard now led by 93 points. The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio saw Palou claim his third pole position of the season, ahead of Lundgaard, with CGR's Kyffin Simpson taking a career-best third on the grid. Palou converted his pole into an early lead at the start, pulling ahead of Lundgaard as the field settled. The opening lap saw chaos when Newgarden spun at Turn 1 and collected Rahal, ending both of their races and triggering an early caution. Power retired shortly afterward due to contact sustained in the same incident. Once the race resumed, Palou controlled the pace from Lundgaard and Herta, while Dixon advanced from ninth on a two-stop fuel strategy. A second yellow for Rasmussen’s stalled car on lap 31 allowed Dixon to save fuel and stay within reach of the leader. Palou appeared on course for another win until a brief off-track excursion in Turn 9 with six laps remaining allowed Dixon to slip through. The Kiwi held off a late challenge to win by 0.4201s, with Lundgaard coming third. Palou extended his championship lead to 113 points with seven races remaining. Newgarden became the season's ninth different pole sitter in qualifying for the Synk 275 Powered by Sukup, leading JHR's Conor Daly and Rosenqvist. At the start of the race, Newgarden quickly established control, leading the opening 232 laps. Herta spun on lap 1 to bring out an early caution, and further incidents for DCR's Jacob Abel, Kirkwood, Siegel and Prema's Callum Ilott interrupted the rhythm later on. When Newgarden pitted on lap 233, O’Ward elected to stay out two laps longer and cycled ahead after his stop. Siegel's crash was heavy enough to cause a red flag and force him to miss the weekend's second race. That set up two late restarts, where O’Ward held off Newgarden each time. He won the race by just over 0.2 seconds to take his first victory of 2025 and end an eleven-race win streak for Honda. Power completed the podium in third, while championship leader Palou came fifth. O'Ward's win allowed him to move past Kirkwood to second in the standings, slightly shortening Palou's dominant championship lead to 106 points. The second race of the double header, the Farm to Finish 275 Powered by Sukup, saw championship leader Palou lead Rosenqvist and Malukas in qualifying. The Spaniard led the opening laps before being passed by Newgarden, who went on to control much of the race. The first caution came immediately when RLL's Devlin DeFrancesco spun into McLaughlin, eliminating both. Mechanical problems ended Will Power’s race after 21 laps, before another yellow on lap 50 when Sting Ray Robb crashed his JHR car. Two tire failures for Andretti later changed the complexion of the race: Ericsson hit the wall on lap 130, and Herta did likewise on lap 254, both times just after Newgarden had pitted from the lead. The timing trapped him a lap down, handing Palou track position. The Spaniard stopped under the second caution, retained the lead on the final restart, and held off Dixon to take his seventh win of the season. Armstrong completed an all-Honda podium as Palou once again extended his championship lead over O’Ward to 129 points. Closing roundsHerta claimed his second pole position of the year at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, leading Palou and Armstrong. At the start, he held his advantage into Turn 1, while O’Ward, who had qualified tenth, made early progress through the field. The Mexican was among several drivers to pit within the first laps to remove the alternate tires, switching to primaries before a caution followed on lap two. That caution elevated O’Ward into a favorable position, and after another yellow for ECR's Alexander Rossi crashing coincided with pit stops, he emerged among the frontrunners. DCR's Rinus VeeKay led briefly on a two-stop strategy but yielded the lead when O’Ward overcut him during the final cycle. A late caution neutralized the finish, giving O’Ward the win ahead of a season-first podium for VeeKay and a career-first podium for Simpson. Championship leader Palou, who tried an alternative strategy that was ultimately hindered by the cautions, finished twelfth, his lead over O’Ward reduced to 99 points with four races remaining.The Java House Grand Prix of Monterey, saw Palou lead O'Ward and Herta in qualifying. The Spaniard led cleanly at the start and controlled the opening stint while Siegel, running an alternate strategy, cycled to the front for 11 laps before the championship leader reclaimed the lead on lap 37. Early incidents included Shwartzman being pushed into the Turn 3 gravel and a separate collision between Simpson and Rosenqvist that brought out the first caution, followed shortly by another when Abel went off at Turn 2 with brake issues. A mid-race yellow followed after VeeKay was forced into the Turn 3 runoff following contact from Kirkwood, but the race remained green through the subsequent pit exchanges. Lundgaard gained positions through an undercut to run second, but was unable to challenge Palou over two restarts triggered by off-track excursions for Ericsson and Ferrucci. Palou took his eighth win of the season ahead of Lundgaard and Herta, with O’Ward finishing fourth to leave Palou 121 points ahead with three races remaining. Championship chaser O’Ward started the BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland from pole position after a six-place grid penalty for Lundgaard. He held the lead through the opening laps until Ferrucci crashed at the final corner on lap 2, triggering the first caution. The restart was short-lived as debris from a double spin for Foster and VeeKay brought out another yellow on lap 8. Racing resumed on lap 11, and a battle between Rasmussen and Daly escalated over several laps until Daly was sent into the Turn 9 tire barrier on lap 15, causing the third caution and removing both drivers from contention. Power moved to the front during the first round of pit stops and established a lead while Lundgaard and Palou settled into second and third. O’Ward’s race unraveled on lap 22 when an electrical issue ended his championship hopes. The remainder of the race ran uninterrupted. In the closing laps Lundgaard closed on Power while Palou pressured both, but Power maintained control to take the win. Palou’s third place secured his fourth championship. Newly crowned champion Palou secured pole position for the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 ahead of Malukas and O’Ward. The opening lap was interrupted immediately when Siegel spun and hit the wall, prompting the first caution. The restart was short-lived when Rahal slid wide and nearly crashed, bringing out a second yellow. Palou controlled the early stages afterwards while the field committed to a four-stop strategy. Rossi initiated the first pit cycle before lap 50, with further stops around laps 102 and 150. Palou held an advantage over McLaughlin and Newgarden through the middle phase and reasserted the lead after the final round of stops with just under 50 laps remaining. Light rain on lap 209 produced a fifth caution, and Rasmussen was among the drivers pitting for new tyres. Racing resumed with 28 laps to go, and the Dane quickly climbed through the order, passing McLaughlin and then closing on Palou. With 16 laps remaining, he overtook the race leader into turn 3 and held the position to claim his first IndyCar win. The season finale, the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix, saw O'Ward claim pole position ahead of Malukas and Lundgaard. Rasmussen crashed on lap 1, triggering the first caution. O’Ward led the early phase while Malukas held second until lap 83, when contact with the lapped Foster sent him into the wall. The restart preserved O’Ward’s advantage over Palou, but his race ended on lap 127 when a right-front tire failure put him into the same corner. That handed the lead to Power, who then lost a lap after stalling during his pit stop. That briefly cycled Rossi to the front before Newgarden, who had stopped earlier, moved past him on lap 147. Newgarden lost the net lead during the final pit cycle after a slow stop, allowing McLaughlin and Palou to jump ahead. He repassed Palou shortly after and then inherited the lead on lap 205 when McLaughlin brushed the wall. Newgarden controlled the final stint to finish ahead of Palou and McLaughlin, closing a difficult season with a win while Palou ended the year with a 196-point lead. Across the 17-race season, Palou established control early with four wins from the first five events and extended that momentum through the Indianapolis 500, where he finally claimed victory after several years of contention. His consistency, combined with repeated gains through strategy and minimal errors, allowed him to maintain a triple-digit points advantage for much of the campaign. O’Ward emerged as Palou’s closest title rival after mid-season gains, including victory at Iowa and a strong run of podiums, though mechanical issues at Portland ultimately ended his pursuit. IndyCar’s first season under new broadcast partner and part-owner Fox delivered a 28 per cent increase in average viewership, with 1.2 million viewers marking the best television figures since 2012. The Indianapolis 500 drew its largest audience in 17 years, while several events reported record or near-record attendance. Points standings
Driver standings
Entrant standingsOnly full-time entries shown. Light-gray background indicates non-chartered entries that were ineligible for the Leader's Circle for the 2025 season.Engine manufacturer standingsThe top-two finishing full-season eligible entrants for a manufacturer in each race scored points toward the engine manufacturer's championship. Points scored were the same as the driver's championship except for bonus points – a race win was worth five bonus points for a manufacturer, while a pole position was worth one bonus point. A full-season entry was eligible to score manufacturer points until it exceeded the maximum number of allowed engines per entry.For Indianapolis 500 qualifying, the manufacturer that ran the fastest speed on Saturday received one bonus point; while the manufacturer that qualified on pole position received two bonus points. |