New leadership, new team, new broadcast partner, new teams for several drivers, but will the results be the same? IndyCar 2025 offers an intriguing mix of drama on and off track.

With Doug Boles assuming the role of IndyCar president, I don’t look for much change right away, but by mid- season we might see some movement. Off track, talk of a new chassis and whether Honda will remain in the series are the big things to watch.

But it’s been a long winter, and I’m ready to see cars on track starting next Friday. Let’s/ talk about the season.

3 Peats?

Alex Palou and Josef Newgarden are each going for three in a row. Palou seeks his third straight championship, and Newgarden his third straight Indianapolis 500. Palou has the better chance of repeating. While Newgarden may contend, I look for a different driver and team to be drinking the milk May 25.

New Teams, New Looks

The offseason saw several drivers switch teams.

Alexander Rossi joined ECR, Christian Lundgaard went to McLaren, Rinus VeeKay took the final grid spot with Coyne last week, and Marcus Armstrong will drive for Meyer Shank.

While the lineups will take a bit of time to adjust to, radical new liveries have appeared. ECR now sports yellow and black cars, Marcus Ericsson is now a red and black machine while Will Power has gone to red and white. As I mentioned in an earlier post, study your spotters’ guide.

Rookies

Three rookies will vie for Rookie of the Year honors. Jacob Abel with Dale Coyne Racing, Louis Foster with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, and Robert Shwartzman with Prema. I look for a close race between Foster and Abel, with Foster squeaking by for top honors.

PREMA Joins the Series

PREMA brings their winning junior FIA team to IndyCar for a full season. Callum Ilott and Robert Shwartzman will drive the two cars with liveries representing the Italian flag. Unlike Carlin, which spent two years in Indy Lights before joining IndyCar, PREMA is jumping in with both feet.

While they had top 10s in the Sebring test, the season is a different animal. I will wait to see how they perform the second half of the season before passing judgment. I think the ovals will be a struggle for them.

No Change at the Top

The top four teams will once again get most of the victories and podiums, but we may see a surprise winner or two. I look for improvement from RLL and some better results for EGR.

David Malukas has the best chance of notching his first series win.

Series champion- Scott McLaughlin

Indianapolis 500- Pato O’Ward.

Can FOX Match Their Pre-Season Hype?

FOX has done an outstanding job promoting the series and the 500 during their football and basketball broadcasts, including significant time during the Super Bowl.

Will the promotional blitz carry over to the race broadcasts? With Will Buxton doing play by play, the booth isn’t a concern. I’m waiting to see how the production runs, how well the action gets covered, how often full screen commercials run, and just who will be covering the pits.

I hope I will be able to see a race replay, since I will be unable to record this week’s race.

I cannot wait for Friday’s first practice.