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Former F3 driver Sophia Floersch signed with HMD Motorsports for the 2025 Indy NXT season. However, the German driver, in a surprising turn of events, has parted ways with the Indy NXT team after just one race in the series.
HMS Motorsports official social media account on Instagram uploaded a post on March 27, 2025, and detailed that the team has parted ways with German driver Sophia Floersch. However, the team did not detail the reason why the two parted ways. The Instagram post read,
“As we move onwards in 2025, HMD Motorsports and Sophia Floersch have mutually agreed to part ways for the remainder of the INDY NXT by Firestone season. HMD Motorsports wishes Sophia the best of luck in her future endeavors.”
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The post did detail that the team is currently looking for Sophia Floersch’s replacement.
“The team is now actively considering driver options for the #24 car for the remaining thirteen races and upcoming test days," the team's statement read.
However, Feeder Series reported that the decision was made on budgetary grounds.
Sophia Floersch uploaded a story on her Instagram a few hours before the announcement of parting ways with HMD Motorsports as she took to the Portimao circuit in an open-wheel racing car on the simulator.
The German driver raced in the European Le Mans and Formula 3 in the last few years before deciding to move to the USA and join the IndyCar ladder series. Floersch's exit comes as a surprise since the 24-year-old performed well enough at St. Pete, considering it was her debut race.
The German had an average qualifying session and started the Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg Indy NXT race in P17. However, aided by the three retirements and courtesy of a better race pace, Floersch finished the race in a respectable P12, two positions ahead of fellow HMD driver and debutant Hailie Deegan.
“The sport is still in focus”: Sophia Floersch hails Indy NXT for lack of “politics”
Sophia Floersch tested with HMD Motorsports in Nashville before making her Indy NXT debut. The German sat for an interview after the test, a week before making her debut, and detailed how welcoming the Indy NXT paddock is, as she highlighted how the sport is still in focus for the series while other motorsport categories are surrounded by politics. She said:
“The people are actually nice to each other and not just trying to screw each other over. Obviously in every sport, everywhere you go, there’s politics. And I think that’s normal nowadays, and you will never get it out. But here the sport is still in focus. It’s still about pure racing here and I’m just excited to get going.”
Floersch has yet to respond to the news of her parting ways with HMD Motorsports and hasn't detailed any plans for what lies ahead of her in the future.
