IndyCar president hails PREMA Racing's 'great' rookie season story as future remains uncertain

IndyCar president Doug Boles has commended PREMA Racing for becoming an integral part of the series' history books in its rookie season. The team's rookie driver, Robert Shwartzman, who had never driven around an oval before his IndyCar debut, took a sensational pole position for the 109th Indianapolis 500.

He conquered the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the final day of qualifying, going fastest of all, with a four-lap average of 232.79 mph. Only three drivers behind him had breached the 232 mph mark, and two of them were experienced Indy 500 winners - Takuma Sato and Scott Dixon.

It was the first time in 83 years that a rookie took pole position at the Indy 500, and coincidentally, that also happened to be Shwartzman's car number. Though neither the race nor the rest of Shwartzman's rookie IndyCar season was nearly as impressive, PREMA Racing made its mark in the premier American open-wheel racing series,

Unfortunately, after just one season, the Italian team is facing financial hurdles and looking for sponsorship to continue racing in the series in 2026. While an official confirmation of its participation is awaited, Doug Boles, also the president of the IMS, showered praise on PREMA Racing's Indy 500 heroics. In an interview on IndyCar's YouTube Channel, Boles said [1:59 onwards]:

"I don't think anybody would've predicted that as the season was going on or even at the front of the season. And for them to be sitting on the pole for the Indianapolis 500, brand new team, really not having a lot of experience at all, and to bring a rookie driver and put them on the pole for the Indianapolis 500 was a pretty big moment for them. It's actually a great story for all of us."

Robert Shwartzman's teammate, Callum Ilott, helped PREMA Racing end the season on a high with four Top 10 finishes in the last five races.

Doug Boles shared an update on PREMA Racing's future in IndyCar

The PREMA Racing Chevys of Callum Ilott and Robert Shwartzman at the 2025 IndyCar Grand Prix of Portland - Source: Getty

PREMA Racing's co-team owner Deborah Meyer was rumored to have committed over $40 million to setting up its IndyCar program. However, because it didn't own a charter entry, the team's value is limited to its physical assets, i.e., the equipment it owns, including its two Dallara DW12 Chevrolet-powered cars.

In October, RACER's Marshall Pruett shared that PREMA Racing was looking to sell its IndyCar team with an asking price of $20-25 million. Since then, there has been no talk about the potential sale.

In mid-October, during the two-day test at the IMS, Doug Boles revealed his findings from a conversation he had with PREMA CEO Piers Philips.

"I've talked to Piers at PREMA last week," Boles said David Land on YouTube. "I know they're working really, really hard to continue to be on the grid. All kinds of crazy rumors in the sport, especially in the offseason when we're not racing, people dive into those rumors." "I hear like everybody else does, but so far my conversations with PREMA, they're continuing to work on finding ways to make sure that they're on the grid, and we stay in touch with them, and we'll see where it goes. But I don't have any confirmation or direct information I can pass on," he added.

It was reported that PREMA Racing has both its drivers under contract for 2026. However, with the team facing financial difficulties, it was reported that Callum Ilott was in talks with multiple teams in the World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar championship for a 2026 drive.

Edited by Yash Kotak