Santino Ferrucci enjoyed a bit of a breakout season in 2024, after gaining 10 positions in the championship relative to the year before.
Twice he came gut-wrenchingly close to obtaining his first podium, finishing fourth in both races at the Milwaukee Mile.
No one was a harsher critic regarding his performances than himself, but his results indicate just how far he and his AJ Foyt Racing team have progressed.
Remaining with them for 2025 should give him a nice platform, and the stability that he needs to take his game to the next level.
JR Hildebrand thinks Santino Ferrucci needs more ‘standout’ moments
Looking at Ferrucci’s results, the main thing that stands out is his remarkable consistency over the course of the season.
He finished inside the top 10 in 11 of the 18 races but didn’t quite have enough in the tank to push for the podium.
It’s something that ex-IndyCar driver JR Hildebrand thinks is one of the only components missing from his variety of skills.
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“Race winners were either much more consistent in terms of being top qualifiers, guys that were running in the top five or the top 10 on a weekend to weekend basis had more standout moments,” he told The Race’s IndyCar podcast.
“That really is reflected in the championship points as well when you take it at that level. Just the raw data here.”
What can Ferrucci achieve with his new partner in crime?
Ferrucci will be across the garage from a new teammate in 2025, as David Malukas joins the team after spending half a year with Meyer Shank Racing.
Both have proven that they have a great blend of speed and experience under their belts now and can take this team to the next level.
Ferrucci in particular has matured over the last few seasons, and looks as if he has found a home within IndyCar.
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It might be a bit of a reach to say that he could contend for the title, but he could certainly make inroads towards the top five of the championship.
As Hildebrand said, all he needs to do is crack the code of some more significant results and he may find himself further up the standings.