Your guide to the 2026 IndyCar Series

IndyCar is back for its biggest season in years

This weekend sees the return of the NTT IndyCar Series, with the first round of the year taking place in St. Petersburg, FL.

With new events added to the schedule, new drivers joining the series, and updated rules to spice up the racing, 2026 could be the biggest season yet for IndyCar.

This guide contains all the important information to get you up to speed before the action begins in Florida – including when to mark your calendar for the flagship 2026 Indy 500 race.

Most importantly, join us to see if anyone will be able to challenge the seemingly unstoppable Spaniard: Alex Palou. He begins the 2026 season in search of his fourth IndyCar Series championship title in succession.

How many races are in the 2026 IndyCar Series?

For the 2026 season, IndyCar has expanded its schedule to incorporate 18 rounds packed into just six months.

This marks the first time the IndyCar Series has included this many races since 2014. Championship organizers hope to build on momentum at the start of the season.

As a result, the month of March will feature four race weekends alone, beginning with the now-traditional, season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

The tail-end of the season has a similar intensity, with six races across five weekends to complete the 2026 IndyCar Series. California will host the finale, with the Grand Prix of Monterey at the famed Laguna Seca circuit closing out the series on 6 September.

What track types will the 2026 IndyCar Series use?

What sets IndyCar apart from other single-seater championships is the sheer variety of circuits used throughout the season.

Oval courses are the most heavily associated with IndyCar, in no small part due to the legendary Indy 500 itself. However, they represent just six of the 18 rounds to be held throughout the year.

Instead, IndyCar has an even split amongst track types, with temporary street circuits such as Detroit and Long Beach accounting for another third of the venues to be visited.

Permanent road courses, including iconic tracks such as Laguna Seca and Road America, make up the remaining third of the tracks set to host action in 2026.

Such a variation in tracks means IndyCar drivers need to be multi-skilled, and able to adapt to different racing types.

What races are new for the 2026 IndyCar Series?

The 2026 IndyCar Series sees three brand new races added to the calendar, beginning with the Grand Prix of Arlington on March 15.

Set around the AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field, the street course marks the first IndyCar race in Texas since 2023. It also features the longest straightaway of any road or street circuit used by IndyCar.

IndyCar’s regular trip to Canada has shifted from Exhibition Place in Toronto to a new temporary street circuit in Markham, Ontario. A five-year deal was triggered primarily due to the 2026 FIFA World Cup needing to make use of Exhibition Place.

Phoenix Raceway will host an oval race: the return of IndyCar to the Arizona track for the first time in eight years.

What is the 2026 Freedom 250 race?

The biggest surprise for the 2026 IndyCar Series was the announcement of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C, set for August 23.

Following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, the Freedom 250 will form part of the planned celebrations for the United States Semiquincentennial.

An August race date means fans, and drivers, will have to cope with temperatures averaging between 90-100 deg F, combined with 70 percent humidity.

That’s in addition to the logistical challenges of creating a brand new street circuit around the nation’s capital.

When will the 2026 Indy 500 take place?

Known as the ‘greatest spectacle in racing’, the Indy 500 is unquestionably the marquee event for the IndyCar Series.

Steeped in history and tradition, the race is considered one part of the “Triple Crown of Motorsport” along with the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

This year will see the 110th edition of the famed 500-mile race, which has only been held outside the month of May once (due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020).

The running of the Indy 500 is linked to Memorial Day celebrations, meaning this year’s event will fall on Sunday 24 May.

What cars does the 2026 IndyCar Series use?

Helping make IndyCar a competitive championship is the use of a single-specification chassis by all teams.

First used for the 2012 season, the Dallara DW12 has remained in service longer than any other IndyCar chassis.

It has undergone multiple changes during that time, though, including the addition of a protective aeroscreen and multiple iterations of aero kit.

IndyCar had intended to launch a new chassis for the start of the 2024 season. However, delays in the development and introduction of the new hybrid V-6 engines mean the new Dallara IR-28 is now due to hit the track in 2028.

Who supplies engines for the 2026 IndyCar Series?

Honda and Chevrolet are the current engine suppliers for IndyCar, responsible for building their own twin-turbocharged 2.2-liter V-6 mills.

These are capable of producing up to 750 horsepower, with IndyCar varying the turbocharger boost pressure depending on the type of track.

Both Honda and Chevrolet recently committed to continue in the series, agreeing to develop new 2.4-liter hybrid-assisted V-6 engines.

This will also see the two marques receive their own single-car team charter for the 2028 season and beyond, letting them field an individual factory entry in the IndyCar series.

How does IndyCar make use of hybrid powertrains?

In order to keep IndyCar racers linked to the cars produced by its engine suppliers, the series added hybrid technology part-way through the 2024 season.

This included the addition of a new energy recovery unit (ERU), which uses regenerative braking to charge a battery. Power can then be deployed through pressing a steering wheel-mounted button, combined with an existing ‘push-to-pass’ increase in turbo boost.

Using both the hybrid system and push-to-pass can see racers gain an additional 120 horsepower for a short period of time.

What rule changes are there for the 2026 IndyCar Series?

IndyCar will change its rules around tire usage on street courses in 2026. Drivers now have to use one set of the primary compound Firestone tires, and two sets of alternate compound tires (up from one), to add an extra element of strategy.

The series will also aim to expand where lapped cars are shuffled to the rear of the field during last-race restarts. IndyCar hopes this should encourage more battles for position in the closing laps.

Cars at the Indy 500 will be required to use “tire ramp flaps”, similar to the roof flaps found on NASCARs. These should help prevent IndyCars becoming airborne after a spin.

Who is the defending IndyCar Series champion?

Spanish driver Alex Palou is the current reigning IndyCar Series Drivers’ Champion, having completed a dominant 2025 campaign with an incredible eight race victories and five other podiums.

This included winning the 109th Indy 500, representing his first success on an oval track in six seasons of IndyCar.

It gave Palou his fourth IndyCar title, having previously won the series in 2021, 2023, and 2024.

Having four IndyCar Championships means the 28-year old Chip Ganassi Racing driver has already surpassed legends such as Rick Mears and Al Unser. A fifth title would elevate Palou beyond even Mario Andretti.

What is the prize for winning the IndyCar Series?

Although winning the Indy 500 and claiming the Borg Warner Trophy is a major prize for any IndyCar driver, victory in the overall championship also secures a special prize.

Since 2011, IndyCar has presented the championship-winning driver with the historic Astor Challenge Cup.

Originally commissioned in 1911 for the short-lived Astor Cup Race in New York, the trophy was later acquired by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Two new black granite bases were added to the trophy, detailing all the AAA, USAC, CART, and IndyCar series winners since 1909.

Presented after the final race of the season, the winning driver and team owner are each given their own scaled replica of the famous trophy.

Who could be Alex Palou’s biggest rivals in 2026?

Although Alex Palou looks likely to continue as the top contender for success in 2026, several other drivers could challenge him throughout the course of the season.

Arrow McLaren driver Pato O’Ward finished second in the championship standings last year, having taken two race wins and a number of podiums.

In the first half of the 2025 season, Kyle Kirkwood was the only driver other than Palou to claim a race win. Bad luck in later races saw the Andretti Global driver slip down the rankings to fourth, but his ability on street courses remains his key asset.

The famed Team Penske endured a torrid 2025 season, including disqualification in Indy 500 qualifying for technical violations. David Malukas has joined the outfit for 2026, alongside Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin.

Will Power has moved to the Andretti Global team for 2026, after 17 seasons with Penske. The Australian is the most recent driver other than Palou to have won a drivers’ championship.

Who are the 2026 IndyCar Series rookie drivers?

Three rookie drivers will enter the 2026 IndyCar Series, with Mick Schumacher perhaps the most famous of the trio. The son of seven-time Formula One World Drivers’ Champion Michael Schumacher, the German driver spent two seasons racing for the Haas F1 team.

Driving for the Rahal Letterman Lanigan team means Schumacher will need to adapt quickly to the challenges of oval racing.

Norwegian Dennis Hauger won the 2025 Indy NXT Drivers’ Championship, helping secure him a drive with Dale Coyne Racing for the 2026 IndyCar Series.

Caio Collett, who Hauger beat to win the Indy NXT title, is the third rookie for 2026. The Brazilian will drive for A.J. Foyt Enterprises, replacing David Malukas who has switched to the Penske team.

Which key drivers have returned to the IndyCar Series for 2026?

Romain Grosjean is back in IndyCar for 2026, having spent a fruitless season racing for Lamborghini in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

French-born Grosjean spent four seasons as an IndyCar driver between 2021 and 2024, claiming three pole positions and six podium finishes. He also developed a reputation for his exuberant driving style, delighting fans and enraging his competitors in equal measure.

This year sees Grosjean return to the Dale Coyne Racing team, where he originally began his IndyCar career.

Before IndyCar, Grosjean was best known for a decade spent in Formula One, including surviving a heartstopping fiery crash during the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix.

Which drivers are not racing in the 2026 IndyCar Series?

The IndyCar driver market has seen considerable upheaval during the off-season, with numerous racers making an exit from the series.

Among them is Jacob Abel, who completed his rookie season in 2025, and Canadian-born Devlin DeFrancesco.

Prema Racing, which fielded Calum Ilott and Robert Shwartzmann during 2025, has not indicated a return to the series for 2026.

Veteran journeyman Conor Daly does not appear to have secured a seat for 2026 yet. However, do not rule him out from appearing as a mid-season substitute.

Where is Colton Herta racing in 2026?

One notable absence from the IndyCar grid for 2026 will be Colton Herta. Having burst onto the scene in 2019, the son of famous driver Bryan Herta claimed two race wins in his rookie season.

Becoming one of the highest-paid drivers in the sport, Herta’s greatest success came in 2024 when he finished second in the drivers’ standings.

For 2026, Herta will serve as the official test driver for the new Cadillac Formula One Team, along with racing in the Formula 2 series for the Hitech outfit.

The aim is to gain Herta enough Formula One superlicense points to subsequently be able to race for Cadillac.

What pace car is used by the IndyCar Series?

The IndyCar Series features not one, but two, pace cars. These are used throughout the season to start the race and handle any caution periods.

Honda offers the Civic Type R performance hatchback for pace car duties, featuring a 315 horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. Leading the pack since 2023, the Civic Type R is the latest in a line of Honda-supplied pace cars.

The Civic Type R shares its pace car duties with the latest mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette.

Chevrolet also holds the prestigious rights to supply the pace car for the Indy 500, having signed an exclusive contract with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2002.

What support races does the 2026 IndyCar Series have?

The Indy NXT series, previously known as Indy Lights, currently serves as the feeder championship and main support series for IndyCar.

Acting as the highest rung on the “Road to Indy” development pathway, Indy NXT is undergoing a significant expansion for 2026. The series will include a total of 17 races across the season, with all of these being televised live.

Other championships on the Road to Indy, such as USF2000 and USF Juniors, will also support the IndyCar package at selected events.

For the opening round in St. Petersburg, a NASCAR Truck Series race will feature legendary drivers Jimmie Johnson, Dario Franchitti, and James Hinchcliffe.

How to watch the 2026 IndyCar Series

James Hinchcliffe will have a busy weekend in St. Petersburg, with the popular Canadian also serving another season as a color commentator with Fox Sports.

Will Buxton returns as Fox’s lead lap-by-lap commentator, being joined in the booth by former driver Townsend Bell. Pit road reporting throughout 2026 will continue to be handled by Jack Harvey, Georgia Henneberry and Kevin Lee.

Fox has exclusive TV broadcast rights to the championship in the United States. Last year saw a 27 percent increase in TV viewership for the IndyCar Series, with Fox looking to build further on this during 2026.

Features such as Driver’s Eye in-helmet camera feeds, and drone technology, will be used at all races.

Coverage begins with IndyCar practice on FS2, at 1:30pm ET on Friday, 27 February. Don’t miss it.