Prema Racing boss Rene Rosin says the Italian outfit is “evaluating different solutions” to remain on the IndyCar grid in 2026 amid speculation regarding its future in the series.
The European junior single-seater racing giant made its IndyCar debut this year with a pair of Chevrolet-powered cars for Callum Ilott and Robert Shwartzman, and made headlines when rookie Shwartzman grabbed pole for the Indianapolis 500.
However, Prema’s immediate future in IndyCar has been subject to speculation amid reports of financial trouble for parent company DC Racing Solutions, which also owns the Iron Lynx and Iron Dames sportscar racing teams.
Matters are complicated by the fact Prema is the only full-time IndyCar entrant that does not possess a charter under the new-for-2025 season that guarantees 25 cars grid spots for every race on the calendar except the Indy 500.
Against that backdrop, Rosin said the team is “working hard” to ensure that its spell in IndyCar does not end up being limited to a single season.
“Honestly, we are looking at and evaluating different solutions,” Rosin told Autosport. “The programme has been, I would say, a great success over the year. We started from scratch, we took pole in the Indy 500 and we were consistently in the [top 10] for the last few events.
Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing
Photo by: Geoff Miller / Motorsport Images via Getty Images
“Of course it has not been an easy season on the material end, but we are working really hard and we will see soon what the future brings.”
Pushed to say if he felt confident about Prema being back on the grid next season, Rosin replied: “We are working on it, that’s all I can say.”
Contesting his third full season in IndyCar, and returning after a year away in the World Endurance Championship with Jota Sport, Ilott embarked on a run of four top 10 finishes in the final five races of the year.
His results peaked with sixth at Laguna Seca and Portland, putting him 21st in the drivers’ standings. Shwartzman, meanwhile, narrowly missed out to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Louis Foster in the year-long fight for Rookie of the Year honours, achieving a best finish of ninth at Iowa and one other top 10 at Gateway.
Rosin clarified that both Ilott and Shwartzman would remain part of the team next season assuming that Prema’s efforts to keep its IndyCar operation active succeed. “Both drivers have multi-year contracts, so there is nothing to say about it,” said Rosin.
We want to hear from you!
Let us know what you would like to see from us in the future.
Take our survey
– The Autosport.com Team
Read the full article here