IndyCar returns after a six-month gap, with new tracks and drivers. Here is everything you need to know for the upcoming 2026 season.
The curtain of the 2025 season drew to a close back in August, with Alex Palou becoming a four-time IndyCar champion. Fast forward six-months and the gears are beginning to turn as IndyCar gets ready to kickstart its 2026 season.
For the second year, FOX will broadcast the series, with this year featuring new tools to enhance viewing experiences. Driver’s eye camera, enhanced audio of radios and data-driven graphics will be used to elevate the broadcast of IndyCar.
A new race weekend joins the calendar
For the first time since 2018, the series expands its season and will be running an 18-race championship.
At the tail end of January, it was announced by the Executive Order signed by the President that IndyCar would be heading to the streets of Washington D.C. from August 21-23rd.
The race will be a part of the celebrations held to mark the 250th birthday of America. The Order gives the Department of Transportation and Interiors permission to build a race track that runs through the streets of Washington D.C. and the National Mall.
The event will be free for spectators and will include vantage points of historic monuments throughout the city. Details about the Freedom 250 course will be announced by IndyCar at a kick-off ceremony that is expected to happen “in the coming weeks.”
The additional race brings further excitement to the 2026 season as IndyCar looks to continue growing its audience.
New and old circuits return
IndyCar made another significant change to the calendar with a record four races taking place in March. The highly anticipated Phoenix Raceway makes its return after an eight-year hiatus. The 1-mile Arizona oval will be shared alongside the NASCAR Cup Series, taking Sunday’s slot while IndyCar and the O’Reilly series run on Saturday.
Since the last time IndyCar has raced at the track, the circuit has undergone some renovations. The start/finish line has moved to the other side of the track. The other change brought in the notable ‘dogleg’. However, IndyCar will be enforcing track limits, prohibiting the drivers from running on that section of the track for safety and fairness.
Joining the calendar and new for 2026 is Arlington, Texas. This is an all-new street circuit which will include a drive-by of the stadium home to the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers. The race is set to take place on March 15th. The 2.73-mile long circuit features a technical horseshoe section next to the stadium and a split-pitlane, providing an extra challenge for the drivers.
With the World Cup taking place throughout the summer, IndyCar’s race weekend in Toronto clashed with a fixture. For 2026, its promoters Green Savoree Race Promotions and the City of Markham created a new street circuit to run on. The track has even already signed a multi-year contract with the series. The new track features 12-turns, a double-sided pit lane and 3.52 miles of racing action. The race weekend takes place on August 12-16th.
A shaken up grid: How the drivers fit into the grid puzzle
The 2026 pecking order was shaken up, with the significant news of David Malukas succeeding Will Power at Team Penske. Malukas enjoyed a strong 2025 campaign with Dale Coyne Racing. He finished 11th overall with five top-10 finishes and two top-5 finishes, one of which was a second-place finish at the Indianapolis 500.
Power’s future was hanging in the air for the majority of the season. But the Australian made sure to leave his mark, bringing Team Penske’s winning drought to a close at the tail end of the season. For 2026, Power joins Andretti Global as Colton Herta departs IndyCar to tackle his next challenge in Formula 2.
After a season of racing in IMSA, where he claimed five podium finishes, Romain Grosjean returns to IndyCar in 2026. He’ll replace Jacob Abel at Dale Coyne Racing. The ex-Formula 1 veteran with over 150 race starts and six podium finishes in IndyCar returns to his former team.
After a strong 2025 season, Rinus VeeKay steps in as lead driver at Juncos Hollinger Racing, replacing Conor Daly.
The Rookies joining IndyCar
Rookie on the grid, Dennis Hauger, joins Grosjean at DCR. The Norwegian is a decorated open-wheel driver with a F3 championship under his belt. Hauger dominated in his first season in IndyCar’s feeder series, Indy NXT. He claimed six wins, seven poles, eleven podiums and finished in the top five in all but one race.
During his time in the feeder series, he set multiple track records at different circuits. These included Detroit (1:04:9896), Mid-Ohio (1:09.7431) and Milwaukee (two-lap average of 152.639mph). He is the first rookie to achieve such domination since Kyle Kirkwood in 2021.
Alongside Hauger, two other rookies join the grid. Former F1 driver and son of record-breaking Michael Schumacher, Mick Schumacher, joins Rahal Letterman Lanigan for 2026. The German competed in Alpine’s Hypercar for the WEC 2025 campaign. Schumacher has competed in a couple of test days for IndyCar in preparation for his rookie season.
The first test took place at the prestigious IMS circuit in October. Schumacher topped the timing sheets there with a lap time close to race pace. As he steps up, Schumacher replaces Devlin Defrancesso in the No.47 Honda – previously, No.30. Alongside him are IndyCar veteran Graham Rahal and Louis Foster.
The third and final newest addition to the grid is Caio Collet. He steps up into AJ Foyt Racing after a successful Indy NXT campaign. The Brazilian finished runner-up in the junior series, where he claimed two victories and 10 podium finishes. Collet steps into Malukas’ spot at the highly decorated AJ Foyt Racing team, where he partners up alongside Santino Ferrucci.
PREMA struggles
The feeder series giant PREMA, stepped into the IndyCar world in 2025, with Callum Ilott and Robert Shwartzman taking the wheel of the Italian outfit.
PREMA’s first season brought an emotional headline to the IndyCar paddock as rookie Shwartzman claimed pole position for the Indianapolis 500 – the first time a rookie has achieved such a feat in 42-years.
After completing their first-ever season, the future of the team was left with lingering question marks as financial struggles significantly hurt the team. But, it wouldn’t be until January of this year where news would drop that the Rosin family announced their sudden departure from the team after a 40-year tenure.
The uncertainty of the team meant it had not taken part in the build-up to the 2026 season, and it wasn’t until IndyCar announced the entry list that it was confirmed the team would not make the first race. As of now, it is unknown if PREMA will return in 2026 and if they do, how they will line up for the rest of the season. While Ilott will head to IMSA for a full-time drive at Wright Motorsports, Shwartzman is left without a drive for the season.
*
IndyCar will start its engines on March 1st, with it all to play for in 2026. Will Alex Palou claim the elusive fifth championship, or will a new champion wear the crown?