A significant player in the Formula 1 ladder system is coming to compete in the IndyCar Series next season in the form of Prema Racing.
Founded by Angelo Rosin and operated by son René Rosin, the Italian organization is a perennial champion and contender in Formula 2, Formula 3 and countless regional single seat development tours across Europe.
The team has furthered countless careers across Formula 1 and IndyCar including but certainly not limited to Charles Leclerc, Mick Schumacher, Logan Sargeant and Marcus Armstrong. It has firmly established itself as one of the premier pathways to the highest level of global motorsports, begging the obvious question of why IndyCar and why not.
The younger Rosin said on Wednesday during an IndyCar press conference that the United States was the logical next step for an outfit that has continually expanded into other forms of motorsports over the past decade plus.
“We always looking to new challenge,” Rosin said. “Having the possibility to compete here in the U.S., in the most important championship (with) the most important American teams, is something that we are really proud and looking forward next year.
“We (are) always looking to find new adventure, new possibility to expand not only for our drivers but as well for mechanics, engineers. Given the opportunity to grow up within our structure and our business is something that we always looking towards.”
It’s very flowery talk but Prema also has indicated that it plans action around the words too.
It is expected to build its own shop in Indianapolis, and not operate as a satellite team to another contender, standing independently in its efforts to compete with the likes of Team Penske, Chip Ganassi Racing, McLaren and Andretti Autosport.
Prema already has a manufacturer alliance with Chevrolet.
“Why in ’25,” Rosin asked rhetorically. “Of course, when Prema joins a championship, it’s not to join to be just a number or to be somebody (who is) part of it, we want to be a protagonist. We want to be part of it.
(This) was the right time for us in terms of structures, all the other programs we are doing, to setting up a new adventure here in the U.S.”
It has a capable leader in Piers Phillips, who has led teams on both sides of the pond and was most recently team president at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing from 2018 to 2022.
“The first thing that obviously excited me was working with Rene and his organization, Prema, amazing organization with amazing history,” Phillips said. “The challenge is something we all live for. Everybody that is a racer gets out of the bed to go and win, the challenges associated with that.
“For me, starting from what is effectively a blank page, being able to incorporate what I know from my time here in the U.S., in this amazing championship, and my previous experience in obviously the Prema experience from Europe, being able to blend that and really produce a different sort of culture, a really progressive-thinking organization, along with our partners at Chevrolet, really excites me about putting a consistently competitive team together.”
While expansion is also partly about keeping drivers and engineers in house when there is no longer sufficient space along the European ladder system, the team is expected to have both an experienced IndyCar driver and a young European export in its debut season.
The engineering staff will also be made a mixture of IndyCar veterans and Formula 1 ladder stalwarts.
“For drivers going after Formula 2, the place in Formula 1 (is) quite limited,” Rosin said. “Having the chance to explore the IndyCar world is also something to consider and something positive. It’s something we can offer to our drivers in order to continue their progression.”
This was also a significant win for IndyCar, which is expected now to have 29 cars on the grid next season, both an accomplishment and new series of challenges for series president Jay Frye.
“This is obviously huge news,” Frye said. “A team that’s won 80 championships in 40 years, that’s phenomenal. I can even do that math. Pretty good math, right? This is for sure our vision of what could happen, is to recruit elite teams like Prema. To have them here, we’re quite excited about it.
“The car count piece, last year 27 full-time, which was a record. We have just added to that. We just added to that with an elite program. We’re obviously excited to have them.”
It’s also going to require some work to the tracks the series goes to, with many pit lanes not currently having room for the two additional cars.
“It’s something we’ve got to evaluate, look at going forward,” Frye said. “Certainly a problem, but a really good problem to have, and something we’ll sort out.”
There’s also the ongoing matter of IndyCar’s intent to introduce a charter system, similar to NASCAR, which would likely lock out a team like Prema that hasn’t competed in the series.
The chartered team would get a vasy majorty of league revenue like TV money and contigency sponsorship funds. It also, tentatively, includes guaranteed starting spots for every race on the grid, including the Indianapolis 500.
“Obviously we’re aware of the situation, aware of the discussions that are ongoing,” Phillips said. “Yes, obviously in communications with IndyCar on that. We’ll keep that in our focus as we move forward.
“If I could speak from a competition standpoint. There’s some very, very strong, top-level teams in this championship. We know that. But it is our desire that we will come in and we want to be competitive right from the word ‘go’.
“I know that’s a big ask, but we will be working extremely hard in putting all our efforts from the start of the program.”
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.