Seats are incredibly hard to come by in IndyCar currently, with as many as 10 drivers fighting for some of the cockpits on the grid.
With the exception of Chip Ganassi, who are likely to retain Scott Dixon and Kyffin Simpson, there are now five contracts left to be handed out for 2025.
That means Rahal Letterman Lanigan and Juncos Hollinger both have two seats available, while the new PREMA outfit have one alongside Callum Ilott.
It’s a tough landscape for any driver, and most of all for rookies, who have little experience and proof of their credentials when looking to graduate.
Conor Daly ‘in a battle’ with multiple drivers for Juncos Hollinger seat
Since making a shock return to the grid in 2024, Conor Daly pleasantly surprised just about everyone with his performance.
Highlighted by a second career podium at the Milwaukee Mile, 37 years after his father accomplished the same feat, he also managed to claim Juncos Hollinger Racing’s first ever podium.
But, he has not been renewed for 2025 by them yet, with the Argentine-American outfit assessing a wide pool of candidates.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Daly discussed the possibility of him returning to IndyCar in 2025 with Juncos Hollinger.
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“In the market that we’re in right now. There are no options unless you have a ton of money. There are no teams handing out contracts.
“You’ve got to have sponsorship for anything that is certainly left available. I’m even in a battle now with JHR, not in a battle, but in a battle for the seat, with like nine or 10 other drivers.
“All of them have one to two millions dollars, which is not enough. That’s what every single driver is up against right now.”
Who is competing for an IndyCar seat currently?
There are a few drivers desperately searching for a seat for 2024 currently, including some that are yet to sit in an IndyCar cockpit.
There are there Indy NXT stars who are hungry for a promotion, all of whom won at least one race this year and finished inside the top seven of the championship.
Louis Foster dominated the series and claimed eight of the 14 wins on offer, while Jacob Abel finished as runner-up behind him and wants to graduate as well.
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Britain’s Jamie Chadwick wants to race at the highest level too, after she won a thrilling race at Road America earlier on in this year.
Rinus VeeKay recently found out that he had lost his drive, as well as Jack Harvey and Sting Ray Robb – adding those three to the free agent equation too.