IndyCar Silly Season: Team Confirmations and Open Seats for 2026
Following a whirlwind of driver changes after the season finale at Nashville Speedway on August 31, IndyCar’s transfer market is heating up as teams prepare for the 2026 season.
Key Developments:
- Will Power has departed Team Penske, while Colton Herta left Andretti Global to take on the role of Cadillac Formula 1’s test driver, subsequently being confirmed for a Formula 2 program. Power will replace Herta at Andretti.
- Confirmation has emerged that Mexico City will not feature on the 2026 calendar, paving the way for a possible announcement regarding race venues in the near future.
- Two days after this announcement, David Malukas was confirmed as Power’s successor at Team Penske.
As the grid nears finalization, here’s a breakdown of each team’s status and key driver vacancies:
AJ Foyt Racing: Unresolved
- Entries: No. 4 Chevy (TBD), No. 14 Chevy (Santino Ferrucci)
- With Malukas gone, the No. 4 seat is highly sought-after. Candidates include Jacob Abel and Conor Daly, although budget constraints will heavily influence the selection process.
Andretti Global: Roster Complete
- Entries: No. 26 Honda (Will Power), No. 27 Honda (Kyle Kirkwood), No. 28 Honda (Marcus Ericsson)
- While all drivers are under contract, Andretti needs to secure a new race engineer and may need to prioritize contract negotiations for Kirkwood, who could attract interest from rival teams.
Arrow McLaren: Roster Complete
- Entries: No. 5 Chevy (Pato O’Ward), No. 6 Chevy (Nolan Siegel), No. 7 Chevy (Christian Lundgaard)
- Siegel is in a pivotal final contract year, while Lundgaard is expected to secure an extension.
Chip Ganassi Racing: Roster Complete
- Entries: No. 8 Honda (Kyffin Simpson), No. 9 Honda (Scott Dixon), No. 10 Honda (Alex Palou)
- A significant legal proceeding concerning the McLaren vs. Palou lawsuit begins on September 29.
Dale Coyne Racing: Unresolved
- Entries: No. 18 Honda (TBD), No. 51 Honda (TBD)
- Both driver positions are expected to be filled before Halloween. Romain Grosjean and Dennis Hauger are leading candidates.
Ed Carpenter Racing: Roster Complete
- Entries: No. 20 Chevy (Alexander Rossi), No. 21 Chevy (Christian Rasmussen)
Juncos Hollinger Racing: Unresolved
- Entries: No. 76 Chevy (TBD), No. 77 Chevy (Sting Ray Robb)
- With a potential opening for Rinus VeeKay, the team might seek drivers who do not need to contribute financially to compete.
Meyer Shank Racing: Roster Complete
- Entries: No. 60 Honda (Felix Rosenqvist), No. 66 Honda (Marcus Armstrong)
Prema Racing: Roster Complete
- Entries: No. 83 Chevy (Robert Shwartzman), No. 90 Chevy (Callum Ilott)
- Both drivers have multi-year contracts, but their future in IndyCar remains uncertain due to available seat restrictions.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: Unresolved
- Entries: No. 15 Honda (Graham Rahal), No. 30 Honda (Devlin DeFrancesco), No. 45 Honda (Louis Foster)
- DeFrancesco’s performance may impact his future, as the team reassesses its three-car strategy given poor championship standings.
Team Penske: Roster Complete
- Entries: No. 2 Chevy (Josef Newgarden), No. 3 Chevy (Scott McLaughlin), No. 12 Chevy (David Malukas)
As this busy offseason unfolds, teams are on a race against time to finalize their rosters, with several open seats and strategic shifts optimizing their performance for the forthcoming season.
