IndyCar: Content Day 1 – Afternoon Overview Part 1
The NTT IndyCar Series and its drivers assembled in Indianapolis Tuesday for their annual preseason media presentations (called Content Days), to introduce the returning drivers, the new drivers and some exciting new sponsors.
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing #10
The NTT INDYCAR Series 2024 Champion joined us and was asked about the possibility of him winning three championships in a row.
Related Article: IndyCar News: Ganassi team celebrates 16th IndyCar title with Palou
“I want to win the Indy 500 so bad. I know what it is, but I don’t think anybody knows exactly how big it is until you win it. At least that’s what I heard from the drivers, as well, and you can see it from outside.”
“But winning three INDYCAR championships in a row is pretty sweet, as well. I would probably say the three championships in a row and then win the Indy 500 in 2026, which, according to your equation, works. I would do that.”
“If it’s only one, then that’s it then I need to retire, I would obviously do the Indy 500. But as I’m not going to retire now, I’ll get the three championships and then the Indy 500 in the future.”
The Spaniard was then asked his opinion on Fox and their coverage of our sport so far.
“The level of the production was huge. Seeing that first commercial from Josef was actually — it’s really fun. I think they nailed it. It’s fast. It’s funny. It shows Josef instead of showing the 500, which that’s normally the target that we’ve been hitting, and I think the 500 is great, but it’s already — it’s huge already. We don’t even need to sell more tickets.”
“We need to make the series big in general. We need to let people know what our product is, and they nailed it.”
“I was impressed during the production, which I didn’t go one day there for only one second. We will get one fully of me, hopefully, and then I cannot wait to see what during the season is. I think it will be impressive. I hope everybody liked it. For all the comments I saw, everybody was impressed as much as we were.”
“I think this is what the series needed, and it’s great to have FOX.”
Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing, #20
Alexander Rossi will be starting his 10th season with Ed Carpenter Racing. Rossi is friends with his owner, Ed, and is happy with his outlook for the 2025 season.
“I think the team is changing at a rapid rate, which is pretty exciting to witness and be a part of, and I think that there’s a lot of excitement internally about the things that are going on.”
“It’s certainly a busy time for everyone involved, and I think we’re all still trying to find our place a little bit in somewhat of a totally new organization. But it’s going really well, and the experience that I’ve had so far has been nothing short of awesome.”
The American was asked what his goal was for this season. “You know, it’s been in the conversation and having an opportunity to win at Indy, which I think is to be expected of ECR and myself.”
“I don’t really have an expectation quite yet because I haven’t driven the car, so I don’t really know what I don’t know at this point. I’ll be able to answer that question a little bit better after the test in February.”
Rossi was asked if he has seen the new INDYCAR that is being planned for 2027.
“I’ve actually talked to quite a few people at length about this. There’s some people that have the belief that it needs to be this super futuristic crazy looking ultra modern car. There’s other people that are like, okay, it needs to be this super light, high-horsepower thing that does track records everywhere.”
“Ultimately what I think needs to be done is we already have, and I don’t think it’s a debate, we already have the best product on track that exists globally, so to reinvent the wheel I don’t think is something that in my mind that needs to be done. I think it needs to be an evolution of the car we’ve had.”
“Obviously technology has developed, materials has developed. We have added a lot on to the DW12. So integrating all of that is going to have benefits from a cost standpoint, from a safety standpoint, from a workability standpoint for the mechanics to have things that fit and flow and work a bit better together.”
“But ultimately I don’t think we need to do anything that’s beyond what we already do because I think what we already do is pretty good. It just needs to be an updated version of what we have. So that’s my opinion.”
David Malukas, AJ Foyt Enterprises #4
David Malukas is happy to be able to start the 2025 season after being sidelined at the beginning of the 2024 season due to a hand injury and then being released from his contract with Arrow McLaren SP.
“Last year was chaos, definitely a year of learning and maturing, and at the end of the season I had actually another surgery on my hand to clean up all the scar tissue because the movement was very limited, so I had to still do some PT for a few months until Christmastime.”
“Now the hand is doing really well. We did the C fit, got the grip strength back up, and I’m excited to go out there and perform and forget this injury ever — well, it’s not perfectly back, but it’s a lot better, so I’m really excited.”
The American was asked about working with his new teammate, Santino Ferrucci.
“I’m very excited and interested to see how the setups and things are going to be. We did do some simulator work together, but as of now the driving doesn’t seem too far off.”
“Of course it’s not going to be until the Sebring test we’ll know the driving styles and how to compare. But talking with the engineers, it seems that we are in some form similar in some ways, especially on the ovals.”
“I think it’ll be pretty good. I think we’ll be good teammates and definitely be able to pick on each other and be able to do two different setups. I think that’s the main goal is having two drivers with the same driving style so we can use two different setups with the limited practice sessions that we have so we can clear two birds with one stone. I like to put it that way.”
Devlin DeFrancesco, Rahal Letter Lanigan Racing #30
Devlin DeFrancesco is going to be driving his third season with a new team, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. The Canadian talked about his new multiyear opportunity.
“It’s very nice to have stability. It’s a great group of people. The team are very, very ambitious. They’ve been working very, very hard during this off-season, even since I’ve been there. I’ve been at the shop almost every day, and it’s nice to have stability. I’m very much looking forward to getting going.”
“I think we’re going to have a good few years together.”
“I think Rahal is a very strong up-and-coming team. They’re a team that have a lot of resources and that have been really, really working hard. I think together we both have a big, big point to prove this year and for the few years that we have together.”
“I think we have a great camaraderie inside between Graham’s experience — he’s someone to really be able to lean on and learn from, and we have a very fast rookie in Louis Foster.”
Lucille Dust reporting live from Indianapolis