2026 IndyCar Season Preview

By Teagan Crump

The 2026 IndyCar season begins this weekend with the Grand Prix of St Petersburg, and a lot has changed since the end of the 2025 season. Here is a round-up of the vital information that you need to know before the green flag flies on Sunday, March 1st.

The new rookies

For the 2026 IndyCar season, three new rookies have joined the grid. All of the drivers have experience in Europe and they have all won at least one championship. They do however, have a variation in US-based racing experience- Dennis Hauger won the 2025 IndyNXT Championsjip, with Caio Collet finishing second whilst Mick Schumacher is yet to race in America.

Caio Collet, #4 A.J. Foyt Enterprises

Brazilian driver Caio Collet is joining A.J. Foyt after finishing as runner-up in Indy NXT in 2025. Previously, Collet has raced in F3, where he took three wins as well as several different lower formula racing levels.

Dennis Hauger, #19 Dale Coyne Racing

Reigning Indy NXT Champion Dennis Hauger is steppung up to IndyCar with Dale Coyne Racing after claiming the title by over 70 points. Prior to Indy NXT, Hauger raced in F2 and was the 2021 FIA F3 Champion.

Mick Schumacher, #47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Former Formula One driver Mick Schumacher announced that he would be joining the IndyCar grid with RLL after two seasons with Alpine in the World Endurance Championship. The German driver was the F2 Champion in 2020, and the F3 Champion in 2018.

Will Will Power power through with Andretti?

One of the most significant moves of the off-season was Will Power leaving Andretti, having spent 17 years with the team, and replacing the F2-bound Colton Herta at Andretti.

A significant question is whether Power still has the drive and determination to race at the front of the IndyCar field.

Malukas moves to Penske

After Will Power's departure, Malukas' move to Penske became almost obvious. When the young driver was eventually announced, the focus shifted to whether or not he could potentially claim his first IndyCar victory.

The Malukas move was one of the most highly anticipated moments of the 2025/ 2026 off-season.

Romain Grosjean returns

The final driver to be announced for the 2026 IndyCar season, Romain Grosjean is no stranger to the IndyCar grid.

Previously, the French driver raced with Dale Coyne (2021), Andretti (2022-2023) and Juncos Hollinger Racing (2024). In 2025, Grosjean served as Prema's Reserve Driver. Currently, Grosjean has six podiums in IndyCar. For 2026, Grosjean will be replacing Rinus VeeKay at Dale Coyne, with the Dutch driver moving to Juncos Hollinger Racing.

Prema to miss St Pete

Prema were not listed on the official entry list for the Grand Prix of St Petersburg. This revelation comes after several issues for the team, such as the Rosin family leaving after 40 years amidst questions over the team's financial situation.

The grid

The race calendar

March 1st- Streets of St. Petersburg

March 7th- Phoenix Raceway

March 15th- Streets of Arlington

March 29th- Barber Motorsports Park

April 19th- Streets of Long Beach

May 9th- IMS Road Course

May 24th- 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500

May 31st- Streets of Detroit

June 7th- World Wide Technology Raceway

June 21st- Road America

July 5th- Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

July 19th- Nashville Superspeedway

August 9th- Portland International Raceway

August 16th- Streets of Markham

August 23rd- Streets of Washington

August 29th- Milwaukee Mile

August 30th- Milwaukee Mile

September 6th- WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca