The upcoming 2026 IndyCar season will see significant alterations, with six drivers losing full-time seats and several teams adjusting their lineups. Although the 2025 season featured a record 27 full-time entries across 11 teams, Prema Racing will not participate in 2026, reducing the field to 25 entries from 10 teams. These shifts notably impact several drivers, including rookies and established competitors, signaling a notable reshuffle across the grid.
Prema Racing’s Departure and Key Drivers Losing Seats
Prema Racing, which entered the IndyCar Series in 2025 as the 11th team, will not be on the starting grid for 2026, and their return remains uncertain. This development removes full-time spots for drivers Robert Shwartzman and Callum Ilott, both of whom competed extensively in the previous season. Shwartzman had a standout moment in 2025 by securing pole position at the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie, while Ilott had also raced full-time but will not continue in the series next year.
Changes at Andretti Global and Colton Herta’s Transition
One major voluntary departure stems from Colton Herta, who will step away after seven full-time seasons and nine career wins. Herta will focus on pursuing a future in Formula 1, joining Cadillac’s F1 team as a reserve driver and committing to run the Formula 2 championship with Hitech Grand Prix to accumulate the necessary Super License points. His replacement at Andretti Global behind the wheel of the No. 26 Honda will be former Team Penske driver Will Power.
Departures of Conor Daly, Devlin DeFrancesco, and Jacob Abel
Besides Herta, three additional drivers who raced full-time in 2025 will lose their seats. Conor Daly, a longtime journeyman of the series, was dropped by Juncos Hollinger Racing after his first full season with them and will be replaced by Rinus VeeKay. VeeKay’s move surprised fans, as he vacated the No. 18 Honda seat at Dale Coyne Racing at the end of 2025 and will now drive the No. 76 Chevrolet.
The other two drivers without rides in 2026 are Devlin DeFrancesco and Jacob Abel, who finished at the bottom of the drivers’ championship in 2025. DeFrancesco failed to secure any top-10 finishes last season with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing after similar struggles in previous years with Andretti Global. He will be replaced by former Formula 1 driver Mick Schumacher, who takes over the No. 47 Honda rather than DeFrancesco’s previous No. 30. Jacob Abel, meanwhile, did not score a top-10 finish as a rookie and was notably the only driver who did not qualify for the 2025 Indianapolis 500.
Dale Coyne Racing’s Revamped Lineup for 2026
Dale Coyne Racing will enter 2026 with a fresh driver pairing, signing reigning Indy NXT champion Dennis Hauger alongside Romain Grosjean, who previously competed part-time for the team in 2021 before a multi-season hiatus. Hauger is scheduled to pilot the No. 19 Honda, a number not used by the team since 2019, while Grosjean will take the No. 18 Honda. Dale Coyne Racing will retire the No. 51, previously driven by Abel, marking their first season without it since 2020.
Fan Reactions and the Impact of Driver Replacements
The departures of DeFrancesco and Abel, both considered pay drivers with limited competitive upside, were largely welcomed by followers of the series. Replacing them with experienced and promising drivers like Schumacher and Grosjean is expected to raise the overall competitiveness of the grid, particularly for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Dale Coyne Racing. These changes underscore the teams’ focus on boosting performance and results in the highly competitive 18-race schedule.
Looking Ahead to the 2026 Season Opener
The 2026 IndyCar campaign will kick off with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. Fans can watch the live broadcast on Fox starting at 12:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 1. With this reshaped lineup and notable driver changes, the season promises to be closely watched as teams and rookies attempt to establish themselves early.
