When Josef Newgarden came clean on his F1 dreams as a young race car driver

Competing in Formula 1 is one dream many drivers nurture during their formative years in racing, and Josef Newgarden is no exception. The IndyCar driver once opened up about how he dreamt of venturing into F1 before settling in the American open-wheel racing series.

The Nashville-born driver, who kicked off his racing path with karting, witnessed it become more than just a hobby and soon a launch pad to several other junior racing series. Although he had a keen interest in multiple series, including stock cars and IndyCar, the 34-year-old was largely drawn by the allure of Formula 1.

In an interview in 2020 reflecting on his early career, Josef Newgarden shared his thoughts about his F1 aspirations as well as why they never really materialized. Speaking via All Things Automotive, he stated:

“I wanted to go to F1 when I was younger. That’s not to say that I didn’t want to go to IndyCar, but F1 seemed like a great place to start.”

Reflecting on why his F1 aspiration didn’t materialize, he continued:

“Looking back on it, it’s really hard to take that path. There’s not a lot of accessibility for drivers, especially American drivers, to find the funds and compete and really get a fair shot at F1. So I always wanted to pursue Formula 1 and IndyCar. And it wouldn’t stop there. I was interested in stock car racing, prototype racing, Le Mans. There’s still a lot on my list that I want to do.”

Josef Newgarden might not have had his aspiration of racing in F1 materialize, but he has surely etched his name in history. The Team Penske driver has recorded two drivers’ titles (2017 and 2019) as well as two victories at the Greatest Spectacle in Racing — the Indy 500 — in his 13 years in the American series.

Fast forward to the present day, Newgarden is on the cusp of history as he could become the first ever driver to win the Indy 500 event three times in a row.

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Josef Newgarden reacts after Indy 500 testing

Josef Newgarden shared his thoughts following the recently held Indy 500 testing. The Team Penske driver was among the several entrants for the racing showpiece who participated in the testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The two-time Indy 500 winner was quick to remind the grid of his mastery around the Indianapolis oval as he clocked the second-fastest time of 225.125 mph, behind Scott Dixon during the first day of the test. Sharing his thoughts following the test with the IndyCar official website, the 34-year-old expressed his satisfaction with his running at the testing.

“…When the car is fast, everything else can be fixed. It’s the car’s speed that fixes everything. For us, it’s been a really good start. It doesn’t mean it’s going to be all smooth sailing, but I hope we can come out of this and be prepared for the Month of May.”

The Team Penske driver has had a largely unpredictable start to the 2025 season so far, recording one top-five finish and one top-10 finish in the three races held through the season. However, the optimistic Josef Newgarden will hope to find his form as the Indy 500 racing event draws near.