Dennis Hauger is one of the rookies joining the 2026 IndyCar grid. With a successful career spanning European feeder series and IndyNXT, Hauger is a rising name in motorsports. Winning the American junior series on debut, he’s affiliated with Andretti Global. He brings that affiliation with him as he takes his place in Dale Coyne Racing. Holding an impressive junior career, let’s get to know the new driver.

The Young Norwegian Star

Dennis Hauger did not start his racing in a kart like others did. Growing up in Aurskog, Norway, at the age of two, Hauger received a quad bike from his parents. And by age four he was driving cross bikes. Eventually, he moved across to karting when he was five, and following a successful national career—achieving 62 podiums out of 70 races—Hauger jumped into international karting in 2014.

In his first year, Hauger won the Mini ROK International Final series, and came second in the Italian Championship. 2015 was a stellar year for the young karter as he won five championships in WSK. Following a dominant year, in 2016 he continued in WSK but also joined the CIA-FIA European OKJ Championship. Coming fourth in that, he also won the German Karting Championship.

As his karting career came to a close in 2017, he won the German series again, as well as being the South Garda Winter Cup runner up. Throughout his time in karting, the Norwegian excelled and showed his growing talent. As he left the world of karts for single seaters, he caught the eyes of Formula 1 junior teams and would get backing from Red Bull.

Joining Single-Seaters as a Red Bull Junior

Red Bull Racing has an infamous junior team. With alumni such as Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, and Daniel Ricciardo, the Red Bull Junior Team is one of the bigger development pools on the ladder to Formula 1. In 2018, Hauger was picked up by the team and they backed him as he went into the single-seater world. 

From 2018 to 2019, Hauger competed in various Formula 4 series with TRS Arden Junior Racing Team and Van Amersfoort Racing. In British F4, he quickly showed promise as he gained a podium at his first outing at Brands Hatch. Finishing fourth overall, he took four wins and 10 podiums. His momentum only continued in 2019. Participating in ADAC Formula 4 and Italian F4, he was the runner-up and champion respectively. 

2020 saw Hauger advance as he took on the Formula Regional European and FIA Formula 3 championships. It was a slower season for him as he adjusted to the new, more powerful cars, but he still saw podium finishes, and he switched from Hitech GP to Prema Racing in 2021. That year, he was back on top. Taking four wins and nine podiums, he became the F3 Champion over Jack Doohan.

2022 and 2023 saw his final years as a Red Bull Junior driver. As his time with the Formula 1 outfit neared its end, he went out on a high—coming second in the Macau Grand Prix, a prestigious non-championship junior race. In 2024 he continued in Formula 2 for the third year, achieving a win in Jeddah. But instead of continuing on and focusing on Formula 1, Hauger decided on a different career path.

Coming Across the Pond: IndyNXT

Hauger’s 2024 F2 campaign was marred by bad luck and inconsistencies. Instead of continuing in the series, he departed ahead of the penultimate round. Ahead of Qatar, it had been announced that Hauger would be flying the European nest and competing in IndyNXT in 2025 for Andretti Global. Whilst he had offers to remain in the European series, Hauger had stated that it “didn’t really make sense” to continue. Consequently, instead of seeing the 2024 season to completion, Hauger withdrew in order to prepare for his new challenge. 

Racing the no. 28 for Andretti Global, Hauger was one of 12 rookies on the 2025 IndyNXT grid. Despite facing a host of new challenges, such as oval racing, Hauger took it in his stride. Ultimately, his 2025 campaign was his most dominant across his career. Taking the Rookie of the Year award, he also claimed the championship with a race to spare.

Winning on debut in St Petersburg, Hauger claimed six victories, with a total of 11 podium finishes. Over the 14 rounds, he only finished off the podium three times, with his lowest finish coming at the second race at Laguna Seca where a collision saw him finish 16th. With 599 points throughout the year, he won with a 72-point gap to Caio Collet. 

“Unbelievable. We just kept working hard as a team, just going into every race weekend with the same mindset. It’s been a great year. I’m really happy about it.”
~ Hauger on winning the 2025 IndyNXT championship in Milwaukee.

The Next Step in 2026

Now, Hauger faces another new series in 2026, and it could be his most challenging one yet. The reigning IndyNXT champion steps up to IndyCar and he’ll be racing for Dale Coyne Racing. He continues his partnership with Andretti with him, and DCR will have a technical alliance with Andretti Global. 

“I’m excited to be joining Dale Coyne Racing for my rookie IndyCar season.” Hauger said upon his signing. He also praised DCR for the progress they’ve made in recent years and how he’s looking forward to contributing. Team-owner Dale Coyne shared how signing Hauger is a “great opportunity … to bring on a talented driver and gain a strong technical partner in Andretti Global.”

From a young age, Dennis Hauger has consistently shown an ability to adapt quickly to different series. Add to that his strategic, yet aggressive style of racing, and it’s only time before he’ll see more success. IndyCar poses a new challenge for the Norwegian. How will he perform?

You can learn more about the 2026 IndyCar rookies and their journeys here.