Young Brazilian Caio Collet is another rookie who is set to join the 2026 IndyCar grid. After his time in Europe and IndyNXT, he joins A. J. Foyt Racing as David Malukas departs for Team Penske. Collet has a broad career, spanning Formula 1 feeder series and Formula E, and he’ll be aiming to continue and gain success in the American series. Here, we take a look at where he came from and his journey to the top.
A Later Start
Collet joined karting slightly later compared to other drivers in the sport—at age seven. Starting in Brazil, Collet claimed multiple karting titles before crossing the sea and joining the world of European karting. In 2015, he competed in the CIK-FIA World Championship KFJ, and came second overall. He’d continue karting in the CIK-FIA and WSK championships for a further three years.
In 2018, Collet joined the world of single-seaters and participated in two rounds of the Formula 4 UAE Championship. His second round at Yas Marina saw him take his maiden win. Despite only being in two of the six rounds, Collet came sixth overall out of the 17 drivers. Later that year, he was in the French and ADAC F4 Championships – winning the French series ahead of Arthur Leclerc.
2019 saw him take on the Formula Renault EuroCup. He joined the R-ace GP team along with Oscar Piastri, Grégoire Saucy, and Alexander Smolyar. That year he’d achieve six podiums, and he continued with the team in the disrupted Covid-19 season. 2020 saw more success for Collet, with five wins. However, two retirements saw him concede the championship to Victor Martins.
Formula 3 and Formula E
In 2021, Collet joined the Alpine Junior Team as he stepped up to Formula 3 with MP Motorsport. Achieving a podium on debut, he’d go on to finish ninth in the standings and tied on points with Olli Caldwell. His maiden win in the series came at the Sprint Race in Hungary during the 2022 season. Only a few races later, he’d see the top step again in Zandvoort.
2023 marked the end of his time in Formula 3. Taking another win at Spa-Francochamps, he came ninth overall, one point ahead of Taylor Barnard. As he left the series, he also departed the Alpine Junior team. His time in F3 was quiet. He didn’t have stand-out seasons, but was showing his consistency each round as he was able to keep his eyes forward and overtake.
As his time in Formula 3 came to a close, Collet signed with the Nissan Formula E team for the 2023-24 season—becoming their reserve and simulator driver. His debut in Formula E machinery came at the rookie free practice session during the 2024 Misano ePrix. Later that year, he stepped in for Oliver Rowland at the Portland ePrix. In the first race he finished 18th. The second race saw him improve, finishing 16th and ahead of fellow Nissan driver Sacha Fenestraz.
Collet didn’t continue with Nissan for the 2024-25 season, opting to focus on his second attempt at IndyNXT instead.
Coming to America
As he departed European racing, Collet signed with HMD Motorsports for the 2024 IndyNXT season. A top-10 finish on debut showed his promise. Three rounds later, he achieved his maiden podium at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mid-Ohio saw his debut pole position and win. His first attempts at oval-racing saw a dip in form, but he quickly adapted and secured a third place at the Nashville Super Speedway finale. In his rookie year, Collet took third in the standings, only behind IndyCar-bound Louis Foster and Jacob Abel.
Collet’s full focus was on IndyNXT in 2025. As he advanced in the series, he achieved nine podiums in total. His weakness on oval courses had seemingly disappeared, achieving top-10 finishes at all four oval tracks. He even saw back-to-back wins at the double-header at Laguna Seca. With 527 points, Collet improved on his debut year and came second in the championship.
Collet Joins A. J. Foyt Racing
In October, A. J. Foyt Racing chose Collet to partake in a pre-season IndyCar test. With positive results at the test, it was soon announced that he’d race the no. 4 car, replacing David Malukas as he heads into Team Penske.
“We were impressed with what he did in IndyNXT with HMD,” team owner Larry Foyt said following the announcement. He explained how the pre-season team test helped them sign Collet for 2026. Looking towards next season, Foyt feels as if the team are in a good place with Ferrucci and Collet as their line up, “we’re in a good spot early in the off-season. We know what the goal is.”
Speaking to The Girls Who Motorsport, new teammate Santino Ferrucci told us how he is “really looking forward to working with Caio”, and explained how he likes Collet’s driving style. “I think we’ll be able to do and accomplish great things,” he stated when it came to their partnership.
Whilst Collet may not have the stellar record of fellow rookie Dennis Hauger, or the time in top series like Mick Schumacher, his calm and calculated approach to racing has seen him progress through the ranks. He showed promise in IndyNXT, what will he be able to achieve as he joins the world of IndyCar?
You can learn more about the 2026 IndyCar rookies and their journeys here.