Andretti INDYCAR Kicks Off 2025 Season with Championship Hopes Set Firmly in Sight 

2.3.25

With the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opener on the Streets of St. Petersburg just a few short weeks away, Andretti INDYCAR launched its 2025 season campaign today unveiling the highly anticipated livery designs for the team’s returning full-time driver trio of Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson. Carrying on the livery concepts that debuted at the start of the 2024 INDYCAR season, all three Andretti Hondas will once again present a united front on the track complete with clean lines and design elements rooted in the team’s legacy. Andretti INDYCAR’s season launch is the second in the Andretti Global family of teams with the Andretti Formula E Season 11 launch going live in late 2024.  

2024 in Review: A Season of Highs and Lows  

The 2024 season was full of promise as consistent results across the team, including two wins, eight podiums, 19 top-five finishes and 34 top-10 finishes, remained a point of strength for the veteran Andretti INDYCAR trio. The season opened with a pair of podium finishes for Herta on the Streets of St. Petersburg and the Streets of Long Beach as well as all three Andretti pilots finishing in the top 10 in Long Beach. Herta and Kirkwood continued the strong start to the season at Barber Motorsports Park with a pair of top-10 finishes, and Herta rounded out his top-10 finish streak at the Month of May opening race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course

Following a difficult Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge that saw Kirkwood finish as the lone Andretti driver in the top 10, the team headed to the Streets of Detroit determined to secure some strong results. The on-track action on the revamped street circuit kicked off with Herta claiming his first pole position of the season, and came to a close with Ericsson claiming the second step of the podium and Kirkwood finishing just outside of the top three. Shifting focus from street course racing, the team embarked on a successful streak of three road course races in a row with all three Andretti INDYCAR drivers finishing in the top 10 at Road America, WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, including a podium finish for Herta at Laguna Seca.  

After a pair of oval races at Iowa Speedway, the team’s street circuit success continued with a front-row sweep on the Streets of Toronto with Herta becoming the first driver in INDYCAR history to lead every session of the weekend before taking the final checkered flag. Kirkwood also claimed his third podium career finish in the Canadian metropolis.  

After the Olympic break, four of the five races remaining on the calendar were ovals. This oval racing stint saw a top-five finish from Herta at World Wide Technology Raceway and his first career podium on an oval in the second race of a doubleheader at the Milwaukee Mile. The remaining road course on the calendar at Portland International Raceway brought another pair of top-10 finishes for Herta and Kirkwood.  

The Andretti INDYCAR team went out with a bang at the season finale’s return to Nashville Superspeedway starting with Ericsson’s No. 28 crew’s win at the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix presented by Gainbridge Pit Stop Competition followed by Kirkwood’s first pole on an oval. The spotlight then shifted to Herta as he ran consistently in the top five throughout the race before making a remarkable pass for the lead with just four laps to go. Herta scored his first oval victory, locking in his career-best finish in INDYCAR Championship Standings in second.  

Consistency is Key: Andretti INDYCAR Lineup Returns for 2025 

After a strong finish to the 2024 season, momentum was full speed ahead as the team entered the offseason ready to build upon the consistent results from a returning driver lineup and minimal competition personnel changes. Returning for his seventh full INDYCAR season, Colton Herta’s role as the ‘veteran’ Andretti INDYCAR driver will be on full display in 2025 as he looks to one-up himself in the Championship standings and claim the title. Back for his third season with Andretti INDYCAR and fourth in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Kyle Kirkwood will look to get back to winning form in 2025 after last season saw the American consistently score top-10 finishes, making it as high as the second step of the podium. The newest member of the Andretti INDYCAR lineup Marcus Ericsson, back for his seventh INDYCAR season like teammate Herta, is ready for a reset after a challenging first season with the Andretti outfit.   

A Perfect Mix of New and Returning Partners 

Making their North American open-wheel racing debut, Chili’s® Grill & Bar will join Andretti INDYCAR at the season opener on the Streets of St. Petersburg serving as the primary partner on the No. 27 Chili’s Honda driven by Kirkwood. After returning to the Andretti family of partners in 2024, a familiar brand will be showcased in a big way as Bryant will serve as the primary partner on Ericsson’s No. 28 Bryant Honda at the season opener in St. Petersburg. This marks the second time the Swede has represented the Bryant colors after an impressive come-from-behind drive that saw Ericsson win on the Streets of Nashville in 2021. Back for the seventh year of partnership with Andretti INDYCAR, Gainbridge’s black and yellow will once again be proudly displayed on the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda piloted by Herta.  

INDYCAR to Expand Reach with FOX Primetime Debut  

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will set a record in 2025 when all 17 races – plus two days of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge – have a live network broadcast. Last June, series officials announced a multiyear media rights agreement with FOX, which becomes the new home of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone. The INDYCAR SERIES will be the only premier U.S. motorsports series with exclusive major broadcast network coverage for all of its races. 

The immersive collaboration will see all practice and qualifying sessions for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES telecast on cable on FS1 and FS2. The majority of INDY NXT by Firestone races will also air on FS1, with FS2 providing supplemental coverage of additional races. Additionally, races will be available on the FOX Sports app, and FOX Deportes will carry exclusive Spanish-language television coverage with a schedule to be announced. 

FOX Sports also recently announced its inaugural INDYCAR broadcast team for the 2025 season. Veteran broadcaster Will Buxton will handle play-by-play duties while James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell will serve as analysts for the first season of INDYCAR on FOX. 

The addition of FOX comes on the heels of continued growth and momentum for INDYCAR, which saw rising attendance across its 2024 schedule, significant growth in commercial partnerships and record metrics across its digital platforms. 

Pre-Season Testing and Strong Momentum for the Andretti INDYCAR Trio 

Ahead of the season opener in St. Petersburg, the Andretti INDYCAR lineup had the opportunity to test at The Thermal Club where Kirkwood and Ericsson took the top two spots of the leaderboard. Final preparations for the season will take place February 17-18 as the full INDYCAR field takes on the Sebring Open Test. With momentum building, the Andretti INDYCAR trio is poised to be a formidable force in the season ahead.