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The 2021 NTT IndyCar Series will be the 26th season of the IndyCar Series and the 110th official championship season of American open wheel racing. The premier event will be the 2021 Indianapolis 500. It will be the second year under Penske management after they took over in late 2019. Scott Dixon is set to enter his 21st season competing for a National Championship as the defending champion.
Background
2021 was to be the final season that the Dallara DW12 UAK18 and Dallara DW12 chassis package (which debuted in 2012 and 2018 respectively) was to be used in competition. It was also scheduled to be the final season for the 2.2-litre V6twin-turbocharged engine package that debuted in 2012; in October 2020, this was delayed for an additional season, as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Contracted teams and drivers
The following teams and drivers have been announced to compete in the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series season. All teams use a specDallara IR18 chassis with universal aero kit and Firestone tires.
Seven-time NASCAR Cup SerieschampionJimmie Johnson will partner with Chip Ganassi Racing to finalize sponsorship on a program to run all of IndyCar's road/street courses in 2021–2022. On October 24, 2020, the car number and primary sponsor for Johnson's car were announced, respectively the No. 48 (Johnson's long-time NASCAR number, with Hendrick Motorsports, and a number Ganassi had previously fielded in the Xfinity Series) and Carvana.
A. J. Foyt Enterprises signed Sébastien Bourdais to drive the No. 14 entry full-time in the 2021 season. Bourdais would also drive the No. 14 for the final three races of 2020.
After competing in three races in 2020 with both Team Penske and Arrow McLaren SP, Hélio Castroneves will contest a six-race schedule in 2021 with Meyer Shank Racing.
Chip Ganassi Racing re-signed Tony Kanaan to a two-year contract to contest the oval events, in complement to Jimmie Johnson's road & street course schedule in the No. 48 entry. Kanaan previously drove for the team between 2014 and 2017.
Arrow McLaren SP announced that two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya will drive their third entry in the Indianapolis 500. This will be Montoya's first Indianapolis 500 appearance since 2017. Montoya will also drive the IndyGP.
Paretta Autosport, a new team run by former Dodge/SRT Motorsports director Beth Paretta, announced that Simona de Silvestro will drive a Team Penske-engineered Chevrolet in the Indianapolis 500. This will be de Silvestro's first IndyCar and Indianapolis 500 appearance since 2015.
Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan signed Ed Jones for the 2021 season. This will be Jones' second stint with Dale Coyne Racing, having driven for them in the 2017 season.
On October 28, 2020, it was announced that DragonSpeed, who competed on a part-time basis in the previous 2 seasons, will be leaving the IndyCar Series and they have sold their Dallara DW12 chassis to Meyer Shank Racing, who are fielding a second car for the 2021 season.
Team Penske ended their partnership with Supercars team Dick Johnson Racing (with whom McLaughlin won his three titles) to make room for another IndyCar entry and thus returned to competing with four cars for the first time since 2017.
Chip Ganassi Racing also returned to a regular four-car team for the first time since 2017.
Dale Coyne Racing announced a partnership with Rick Ware Racing (who field full- and part-time entries in numerous other series including the NASCAR Cup and Asian Le Mans Series) for the full season, changing the number of the teams second entry from No. 19 to No. 51 and adding a third, No. 52 entry for the Indy 500.
On February 18, 2021, Andretti Autosport mentioned that James Hinchcliffe's No. 29 entry would compete under the banner of "Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport", with one of the partners from the former Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport entry, George Steinbrenner IV, returning as a partner.
Schedule
On October 1, 2020, a seventeen-race calendar was announced. Iowa Speedway did not return from the 2020 IndyCar Series calendar, while all tracks that were unable to host races in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic returned to the calendar with the exception of Circuit of the Americas and Richmond Raceway. A second road course race at Indianapolis will be held once again, as part of a doubleheader on Brickyard weekend in August.
On December 17, 2020, it was announced that in order to provide "the best opportunity to provide our guests with a fun and exciting experience in a safe and unrestricted environment", the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach would be rescheduled from April 18 to September 26, becoming the season finale. Combined with the Portland and Laguna Seca events, this will form a three-race west coast swing to conclude the season.
On January 6, 2021, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg was rescheduled to April 25 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the season opener being moved to Barber Motorsports Park.
On January 22, 2021, the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama was rescheduled to April 18 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and will now be on NBC network television.
Scott Dixon is the reigning IndyCar Series Drivers' Champion.
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