The 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season brings significant changes as six drivers lose their full-time seats due to team lineup adjustments and new entries. With the departure of Prema Racing and only ten teams confirmed for the full 18-race schedule, the field tightens, prompting notable driver shifts across the series.
Changes in Team Participation Affect Driver Lineups
Prema Racing, initially added as the 11th team to the 2025 grid that featured a record 27 full-time entries, will not compete in the 2026 IndyCar season. Their absence reduces the total field to 25 full-time entries across ten teams, leaving uncertainty regarding when or if Prema Racing will return. This withdrawal directly impacts drivers Robert Shwartzman and Callum Ilott, both of whom will not retain full-time IndyCar drives for 2026 despite Shwartzman’s standout rookie pole position at the 2025 Indy 500.
Colton Herta Steps Aside to Pursue Formula 1 Ambitions
Among the drivers stepping away voluntarily is Colton Herta, who ends his seven-year full-time stint after amassing nine IndyCar wins. Herta has joined Cadillac’s Formula 1 team as a reserve driver and will compete in the Formula 2 championship with Hitech Grand Prix to accumulate Super License points needed for a full F1 seat. Herta’s vacant spot at Andretti Global will be filled by Will Power, the seasoned former Team Penske driver, who takes over the No. 26 Honda.
Drivers Released Amid Team Reconfigurations
Three other full-time drivers from 2025—Conor Daly, Devlin DeFrancesco, and Jacob Abel—are also off the full-time schedule for 2026. Daly, known for his long tenure as a versatile competitor, was released by Juncos Hollinger Racing after one season. He will be replaced by Rinus VeeKay, formerly with Dale Coyne Racing, who surprisingly left his No. 18 Honda seat after the 2025 season to join Juncos Hollinger Racing, piloting the No. 76 Chevrolet.
DeFrancesco and Abel, who finished at the bottom of the 2025 championship standings, saw their departures anticipated well before confirmation. DeFrancesco did not record any top-10 finishes in his single season at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and was similarly unable to do so in his prior two years with Andretti Global. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has opted for former Formula 1 driver Mick Schumacher as his replacement, assigning him the No. 47 Honda instead of DeFrancesco’s previous No. 30.
Jacob Abel, a rookie in 2025, also failed to make any top-10 finishes and notably did not qualify for the Indy 500. Dale Coyne Racing will not run Abel’s former No. 51 entry in 2026, marking a change from previous years.
Dale Coyne Racing Introduces New Talent to Lineup
Dale Coyne Racing reveals a refreshed driver roster with reigning Indy NXT champion Dennis Hauger joining as a rookie in the No. 19 Honda, a number the team has not used since 2019. Romain Grosjean returns to the team in the No. 18 Honda after a part-time stint in 2021, three seasons elsewhere, and sitting out the 2025 campaign. These changes signal a strategic shift for Dale Coyne Racing, moving away from lesser-performing drivers in favor of those with higher potential.
Financial Considerations and Fan Reactions to Driver Moves
Both DeFrancesco and Abel were seen largely as pay drivers, bringing necessary funding but limited race results. The decisions by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Dale Coyne Racing to bring in more accomplished drivers like Schumacher and Grosjean have been met with approval among fans, who expect improved competitiveness and performance in the 2026 season.
Looking Ahead to the 2026 Season Opener
The NTT IndyCar Series will kick off the 2026 campaign with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, set to take place on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. The race will be broadcast live on Fox at noon Eastern Time on Sunday, March 1. This season opener marks the beginning of what promises to be a highly competitive year with renewed team dynamics and driver talent reshaping the grid.
