Prema and the race against time to stay in IndyCar

After more than 40 years successfully spent in European promotional formulas and after good initial experiences in EndurancePrema Racing has set its sights on the 2025 championship.IndyCarWhile overall the Italian team has shown a nice progression curve after a more difficult start, the pole position obtained by Robert Shwartzman at the Indianapolis 500 surprised the entire paddock, and allowed the Prema name to immediately acquire legitimacy across the Atlantic.

However, as its first IndyCar season drew to a close, rumors of a premature end to Prema Racing's adventure began to surface. The team, owned by DC Racing Solutions, the holding company owned by Deborah Mayer, Claudio Schiavoni, and Swiss lawyer Fabio Gaggini, could not afford a second year with the limited number of sponsors it displayed on its green, white, and red livery.

The Iron Dames program appears to be facing difficulties; it will still support riders in 2026 but will no longer field a full-time team in WEC or ELMSThese events have logically impacted the Prema team, and may be the reason behind the Rosin family's departure earlier this week. The IndyCar team, however, continues to operate in preparation for the upcoming season, as demonstrated by British driver Callum Ilott on his social media. Now seemingly alone at the helm, team manager Piers Phillips continues to seek funding to secure a place in 2026.

While the season kicks off the weekend of February 27th to March 1st on the streets of St. Petersburg, Prema faces a real race against time starting at the end of January. Indeed, according to Racer.com, this is usually the date when engine suppliers Honda and Chevrolet request the first payments for the season's supply, which costs $1,45 million (€1,249 million), as stipulated by IndyCar regulations.

If Prema doesn't commit to its Chevrolet engines by the end of the month, the American manufacturer could then allocate these two engine supplies to other teams for the Indianapolis 500 or for a partial program at the end of the season. With 25 franchised cars for 27 grid positions at each race (and 33 at the Indy 500), Prema was guaranteed a spot in every event on the calendar as long as another team didn't enter an additional car. The established teams would clearly like to be able to run new cars again on an ad-hoc basis, and would therefore welcome the release of two Chevrolet contracts, as well as the one between Firestone, the sole engine supplier for IndyCar, and Prema.

The team, which could also change its name if a buyer is found, therefore has only about two weeks left to unlock its future.

ALSO READ > The Rosin family is leaving the Prema stable, which they founded.