3 times F1 and F2 teams ventured into IndyCar, ft. Prema Racing

PREMA Racing will be joining the grid for the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series championship. PREMA Racing made the official announcement of joining the series in April 2024 and since then has been working towards the new project. The team had its official car and livery launch on January 10, 2025.

However, PREMA Racing isn't the first F2 team to join the IndyCar grid. Let's have a look at the three times an F1 or an F2 team ventures into the world of IndyCar.

#3 Carlin

Carlin Motorsports (now Rodin Motorsports) is a motor racing team that currently fields cars in multiple championships including the FIA Formula 2, FIA Formula 3, and F1 Academy. The team was renamed to Rodin in 2024 after the Carlin family departed from the team.

NTT IndyCar Series Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix - Source: Getty

However, back when the team was still called Carlin, the owners decided to venture into the world of IndyCar and fielded a team in the American open-wheel racing series. The New Zealand-based team joined the Indy Lights (now Indy NXT) championship in 2015 before making the IndyCar debut in 2018.

Carlin raced in the IndyCar championship for four years i.e. 2018-2021. The team achieved the best result of 17th in the championship during two seasons, first with Charlie Kimball in 2017, and then with Conor Daly as a part-time driver in 2020. The assets were sold to Juncos Hollinger Racing after the 2021 season.

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#2 Arrow McLaren

McLaren is one of the biggest names in the racing community and is the second-oldest team on the F1 grid. However, despite being founded in 1963, the Woking-based team never raced in IndyCar until McLaren Racing reached an agreement with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports for the 2020 IndyCar season to enter as a joint entry.

AUTO: AUG 17 NTT IndyCar Series Bommarito Automotive Group 500 - Source: Getty

With Pato O'Ward winning multiple races during the 2021 season, McLaren decided to buy a 75% stake in the team. In 2023, the SP was dropped from the name and as of 31st December 2024, McLaren bought the remaining 25% stake from the partners to take full ownership.

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#1 PREMA Racing

PREMA Racing announced its IndyCar program in April 2024 and will be joining the grid for the 2025 season. The team confirmed Chevrolet as its engine supplier and has built a base for its IndyCar operations in Indianapolis.

Robert Shwartzman and Callum Ilott have been confirmed as the full-time drivers for its two entries and former F1 driver Romain Grosjean was announced as the reserve driver at the livery launch in Charlotte, North Carolina.

PREMA Racing was founded in 1983 by Angelo Rosin Giorgio Piccolo and began racing in the F3 series. It was only in 2016 that the Italian team would join the GP2 championship (now F2) and become one of the most sought-after teams in the championship.