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IndyCar has been a lucrative ground for teams to try out their hand in the series, and PREMA Racing will join the grid in 2025, but Kyle Kirkwood deemed the entrance a big advantage for the Italian team.
PREMA comes with big aspirations to dislodge the identity of being a grooming ground for young drivers to become a team that is reckoned worldwide for its heritage, which might be hampered, as per Kirkwood's words.
The current IndyCar chassis was introduced in 2012. Since then, a few tweaks have been made to the skeleton of the car, namely the introduction of the aero screen and the hybrid engines last year.
Apart from this, a few minor changes have been allowed over the years, and the teams are well-versed in the Dallara DW12 chassis. On the other hand, PREMA Racing announced that it would join IndyCar in 2025 and envisioned becoming a midfield team as the spec chassis might have helped them claw back some disadvantages of being a new entry.
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However, Kyle Kirkwood elaborated how teams are fighting for thousandths of second in the championship due to teams already reaching the ceiling of the development possibilities. While PREMA would be starting and would require some time to get on a level playing field and has a massive 12-year disadvantage in this fight, Kirkwood said (via Pit Pass Indy podcast):
"Some of that has to do with the age of the car. The current car that we are in was so developed that now we are fighting for thousandths of a second that make a big difference. And with that being said, for a team like PREMA it would be hard for them to develop as quickly. I mean, we have 10/12 years' experience with this current chassis and development on this chassis so, it's tough for them."
Kirkwood races with Andretti and has two wins under his belt.
Kyle Kirkwood shares his take on racing on street circuits
Kyle Kirkwood joined Andretti in 2023 and won two races in his debut year with the team. In the subsequent year, he was able to bag a solitary podium at the Music City Grand Prix in Nashville.
This revealed a trend in the 26-year-old's career regarding his achievements as all of his podiums and poles came around street circuits. Reflecting on his ability to adapt to the high-risk nature of the street circuits with shortened weekends, he said (via IndyCar):
"Street courses are quite a bit different from road courses and ovals because they’re temporary circuits. You don’t get time really to do that much testing. You show up here Friday, get one session. We get another one Saturday, and then we’re straight into qualifying. Adapting quickly is very important for us drivers on street circuits. That’s something I feel I do pretty well, but also my team, Andretti Global, has been very, very strong on street courses in the past."
The 2025 season will start at a street circuit. St. Petersburg will hold the inaugural race of the season, giving Kyle Kirkwood a chance to redeem himself around another street track.
