No Fenders - Formula 1, IndyCar and A Whole lot more..

New stricter IndyCar licensing rules throw Spanner into the Works

2026-10-09T09:29:00.000-07:00

Not taking into consideration mechanical maladies jeopardizing Drivers careers…

Just when we thought we knew where everyone was going in IndyCar for 2027, the series introduced its strictest ever rules criteria for graduating to IndyCar on September 3rd.

IndyCar sets new driver licensing criteria for 2027

A quick perusal of these new guidelines for Indy NXT driver advancement allow for only the top three finishers or drivers having won two or more races in the past 24 months the ability to graduate to the Big Boyz’ series.

This regulation change directly affects Portland, Oregon’s Josh Pierson’s plans to graduate to IndyCar as the new chauffeur of the No. 4 A.J. Foyt Enterprises entry next year, regardless of his reported $25m Dowery…

Pierson, in His fourth Indy NXT season driving for Andretti Global, ultimately came up just short of making the cut anyways at Laguna Seca.

Pierson has won races in the Asian Le Mans Series and FIA World Endurance Championship.

His first Indy NXT season with HMD Motorsports saw Him miss five races due to His FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) LMP2 commitments, driving for United Autosport. Winning that year’s 6 Hours of Portugal LMP2 category with co-drivers Oliver Jarvis and Giedo van der Garde.

Pierson spent three years at HMD Motorsports, with a best overall finish of sixth last year; scoring His first two series podiums at Laguna Seca. Third in Race-1, and second in Race-2.

Pierson scored His maiden Indy NXT pole at Milwaukee, and led the first 54-laps before it all unraveled in turn 2. Spinning into the wall while being hounded by eventual race winner Max Garcia.

A week later, Pierson made a clean sweep of Race-1 at Laguna Seca. Leading wire-to-wire from pole, along with setting the fastest lap enroute to His maiden Indy NXT win.

Starting second in Race-2, ironically Josh was punted by the hapless Garcia! Even though initially IndyCar Radio driver analyst Davey Hamilton thought Garcia had just lost His mind and rammed Pierson! Receiving a Drive-true penalty for avoidable contact. Before later, Pierson told pit reporter Alex Wolff that the car had bogged down upshifting from fourth to fifth gear. Causing Pierson to have to lift off, leaving Garcia with nowhere to go…

Thus, in what I’m dubbing the Josh Pierson Rule. Is it fair that Pierson won’t be able to graduate to IndyCar in 2027 due to a mechanical malady? Or for making one tiny mistake on an Oval? As how many IndyCar drivers have crashed into Mother Speedway’s walls during the Indianapolis 500?

I understand IndyCar’s desire for having talented drivers over the nebulous “Pay Drivers” finding their way into the series in years past.

But I think a more measured approach would have been to emulate the FIA Super License points system instead. Where former IndyCar driver Colton Herta with second (2024) and seventh place finishes (2025) only needs to finish eighth to secure the necessary Super Licence points to graduate to Formula 1.

While I’m left uncertain if the two or more wins over 24 months is just for Indy NXT competitors, or anybody, including Formula 2 drivers wishing to come Stateside instead…

Certainly, IndyCar wouldn’t deny a FIA Formula 2 Champion unable to find a seat in Formula 1 the opportunity to race in their series, would they?

Or haw about reigning five-times IndyCar Champion Alex Palou, winner of 25 IndyCar races to date.

Although Palou won three races in the Japanese Formula 3 series and finished third overall in 2017. By today’s standards He wouldn’t have been eligible to compete in IndyCar!

Having won from Pole at Fuji Speedway in Japan’s Super formula in 2019. On pole for the final round at Suzuka, Palou looked to be the favourite to win. Yet a problem with a ventilation duct slowed His car and the Spaniard finished P19, dropping to third in the final championship standings before coming Stateside to race for Dale Coyne Racing in 2020. Having amassed only one Super formula win, would IndyCar have said Palou was eligible to drive after the obligatory evaluation test?

Not to mention thee Great Santini’, ergo Santino Ferrucci, Eh? Who most definitely wouldn’t meet today’s stricter eligibility guidelines!

Ferrucci made His Formula 2 debut in 2017 with a best finish of ninth driving for Trident. Then in 2018 He was banned for four races after intentionally crashing into teammate Arjun Maini at Silverstone. Fined $60,000 Euros and ultimately fired by Trident!

Before the Woodberry, Connecticut native made His IndyCar debut for Dale Coyne Racing at Detroit in 2018, and the rest as they say, is history…

Marshall Pruett points out how its G-R-r-REAT! That IndyCar wants to improve the talent quality of its drivers. But should they be doing that at the expense of cash strapped teams? Especially when they’ll need to come up with $6-8 million for new Dallara IR28 chassis in 2028!

Whilst For the Love of Indy’s r. Hando goes into even greater detail over how Indy NXT might not be the greatest “Feeder series” leading to IndyCar…

IndyCar’s Talent Evaluation: Be Careful of What You Wish for

Is it Thanksgiving yet?

2026-10-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

Yuhs know, when Dale Coyne starts ponderin’ His next year driver selections…

In what’s become a reoccurring theme her upon thoust mystical island of Nofendersville, once again it seems a very, very long time ago when the annual IndyCar silly season erupted over Father’s Day weekend at Road America! Yet as typical, I was late to thee party, having missed the memo. And am still playing Ketsup!

Has IndyCar silly Season finally Started?

As prior to the Road America race, the scuttlebutt over driver movement seemed to center around Felix-the-Cat’, which seemed a bit odd since Rosenqvist had just won the Indianapolis 500! With the other Swedish Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson also potentially being on the move.

Playing Ketsup’, I tuned into my first Marshall Pruett the Week in IndyCar podcast in a very long time. Being Uber amused over Pruett mentioning how His head was about to explode trying to wrap it around the rumour of the Cat’ and Scotty thee Iceman 2.0’ Dixon’s impending movements. Which I scribbled about sometime afterwards confirmation of Dixon leaving Ganassi for another rival team. Uhm, where’d I put that No Fenders story, eh?

IndyCar, World cup and lots of smoke

The Fourth ‘O July weekend at Mid-Ohio was celebrated with the news that Rosenqvist and Dixon would both be joining Arrow McLaren next year alongside McLaren’s Golden boy Pato O’Ward, all seemingly for Pato’s sake…

With the next major domino falling; being Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s (RLLR) sale of its third IndyCar charter for $13m, and the first in the league’s history – to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. With DRR becoming a one car entity, albeit we’re just Ah-Waitin’ confirmation of its technical alliance wit RLLR. Effectively becoming the satellite squad racing with Conor Daly, and switching to Honda engines for 2027.

As RLLR’s third entry created in 2022 with Jack Harvey, and then Pietro Fittipaldi and Sparky’, aka Devlin DeFrancesco, before Mick Schumacher’s arrival this year has never blossomed into a certifiable midfielder, and instead just a drain upon the organization’s resources…

As the entry looks set to miss out upon the vaunted Leaders Circle prize fund of now $1.65m for a third time in five seasons, with Pietro Fittipaldi’s finish of 19th being its best season finish.

As of the Nashville weekend, there were seven drivers on the Hot-seat for next year. Both Foyt and Dale Coyne Racing drivers. Along with at least one Juncos Hollinger Racing (JHR) driver, With the two biggest names of drivers potentially looking for new seats being the sacked Christian Lundgaard and JHR’s Rinus VeeKay.

Prior to the Portland weekend, the 2026 silly season seemed to be in a virtual Holding pattern, with the biggest seat on the grid being the second Meyer shank Racing (MSR( No. 66 entry. Although the No. 9 chip Ganassi Racing seat was still publicly open. It seemed to be a foregone conclusion that the series lone Dane’ had landed the coveted drive.

Fast forwarding to the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. weekend; Uhm, it Ain’t no Grand Prix Y’all! That was being run in Zandvoort instead, ironically the very same day, but I digress…

A team-by-team analysis reveals that after Marcus Ericsson rewarded Andretti Global for His one-year contract extension by winning at Markham. Andretti, Arrow McLaren, ECR, (Ed Carpenter Racing) RLLR and Team Penske’s lineups are set for next year.

AJ Foyt enterprises appears set to retain thee Great Santini, aka Santino Ferrucci for a fifth season in the No. 14. While Portland, Oregon’s Josh Pierson, rumoured to have a $25m budget to offer, Say What! Will replace Caio Collet in the No. 4 for the next two years.

Won’t even bother on trying to predict what Dale Coyne will do? With both drivers on the bubble…

Juncos Hollinger Racing’s protracted break-up between Ricardo Juncos and Brad Hollinger is slowly creeping forwards. As Hollinger’s ready to find new investors and rekindle His alliance with Zak Brown.

Pruett predicts the team will sign VeeKay to a multi-year extension. While collet with a rumoured $6m budget will replace Sting Ray Robb. Implying the team is more interested in quality drivers, since reportedly, Robb has a $15m budget.

Yet Robb and Nolan Siegel, who also supposedly has major funding to offer don’t appear to feature in any IndyCar teams futures.

That just leave MSR to confirm its second driver, albeit Pruett’s money is upon Mick Schumacher filling the seat. Even with the recent kerfuffle made over Yuki Tsunoda’s name being mentioned as a candidate for the #66 ride.

Thus, that just leaves us with the two Coyne seats to be confirmed, which I can “See” a few scenarios including Nolan Siegel taking one of the seats. And being joined by either Dennis Hauger or one of this year’s top three Indy NXT title Contendahs’. With Enzo Fittipaldi’s names coming to mind…

The only other major unknown is the whispered possibility of Andretti Global dropping its Honda lumps’ in favour of switching to the Bowtie’. Which make some sense since its parent company TWG Global owns the Cadillac F1 Team. Even if Mark Walters Delaware Life and Guggenheim Partners are under Federal investigation for potential fraud.

Questions mount for Andretti global Owner as Federal probe targets TWG Global

F1: Drivers left fighting over Crumbs

2026-10-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

As who’ll pick up the few remaining seats?

The Formula 1 summer break feels like such a long time ago. When the annual Silly Season “officially” kicked off, albeit not knowing what goes on behind the scenes, Err closed doors…

Are we really surprised that Circus Maximus decided to stay put at Redl Bull? The Dutchman having signed a contract extension that runs until the 2030 F1 season.

Although naturally, you’d have to Assume that Verstappen’s contract extension is loaded with its typical performance-based escape clauses. While I don’t understand why there’s any speculation over His Wingman Isac Hadjar retaining His seat next year.

Hadjar’s done a great job in the second Red Bull despite allegedly breaking a bone in His wrist when boxing during training. As it seemed odd to Mwah to elevate Racing Bulls Liam Lawson as His replacement at Zandvoort. Ironically where the Kiwi’ substituted for DannyRic’ (Daniel Riccardo) who’d broken His wrist at the same circuit…

Was this some sort of tryout for Lawson? Whilst Red bull reserve driver Yuki Tsnoda, who’s name was making waves in IndyCar just days earlier deputized for Lawson at the ‘lil bulls.

Williams, which forever will be Team Willy’ to me saw both drivers ultimately sign contract extensions. Alex Albon jumping first, and then Carlos Sainz Jr. apparently? Reluctantly re-signed with the Grove squad, albeit rumours of performance-based escape clauses were also mentioned for the Spaniard.

Speaking of Spain, the biggest “fish”, Err seat apparently left on the market as of Zandvoort was Frederico Suave’s cockpit at Aston Martin. With the 45-year-old Alonso rumoured with a return to Alpine making little sense to Mwah. Arse-sumedly Fernando would be punting out once touted Franco Colapinto – whom I’m pretty sure is still on loan from Williams…

If Alonso did leave, who replaces Him at the steadily improving Aston Martin, now with a brand-new Honda power unit in its backside. Perhaps a straight swap with Colapinto? Or could Checo’, nee Sergio Perez return to His former F1 team?

And speaking of Cadillac, team CEO Dan Towriss says both drivers, most notably Checo’ aren’t going anywhere next year, which seems to make Colton Herta’s pursuit of a FIA Super Licence somewhat moot, ci?

The main two seats that reportedly are in play are at Haas and Racing Bulls.

Scuttlebutt suggests that Esteban Ocon will not return to Haas next year, reportedly three drivers in the frame. McLaren F1 reserve driver, and reigning Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli is reportedly in pole position. And I’ve heard McLaren IndyCar team principal Tony Kanaan say Formula 1’s the Italian’s focus and He’s free to sign with any other team.

Former Alpine F1 driver Jack Doohan reportedly has a TPC (Testing of Previous Car) outing with Haas after Madrid’s inaugural grand Prix. And think also Ferrari Academy and current Formula 2 driver Rafael Canara’s name was mentioned.

Although I’d already forgotten that Doohan is Haas’s reserve driver this year, so probably His TPC drive is related to that, instead of Ocon’s seat?

Prior to this year’s summer break, Formula 2 points leader Nikola Tsolov was being mentioned as Lawson’s replacement at Racing Bulls next year, and I have to Arse-sume Tsolov is still on the Faenza squad’s radar…

Oh, regarding Cadillac and getting a Yank’ on the F1 grid. I’ve got no idea how much further forwards Herta would need to finish during a second F2 campaign; guessing ideally in the top three?

As I accidently ran into the name of Ugo Ugochukwu back at the end of July. As the 19-year-old Yank is currently making waves in the Formula 3 championship. So, might He make a better choice than Herta?