27 drivers, 17 races, 12 states, 11 teams, and 2 countries. The IndyCar 2025 season was a long one filled with intense battles and non-stop action. So much happened, and each race was amazing in its own right. But five moments stood out above the rest. From maiden poles and wins to a dominant champion, we count down the best moments from last year’s IndyCar season.
5. A Maiden Pole For Foster
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing rookie Louis Foster had a slow start to his inaugural IndyCar campaign. With three retirements in the first eight races, the reigning Indy NXT champion had yet to show his true potential. However, that all changed at the ninth round when they went to Road America.
After impressing in the group stages of qualifying, Foster advanced to the Firestone Fast Six for the first time. The final stage saw the young Brit go for an alternative strategy—opting for used tyres to save his new sets for the race. With this, he knocked Álex Palou off of provisional pole with a lap of 1:44.514. Then, he returned to the pits instead of setting another lap. The other five drivers all tried, but none were successful in setting a quicker lap. The rookie had gotten his maiden pole position.
Although the rookie fell back during the race and ultimately finished 11th, his surprising pole showed why he was debuting as the reigning champion. Demonstrating his potential, his pole was a catalyst in turning his season around during the second half.
4. The Rookie Team Impressed
2025 saw a new team join the full-time IndyCar line-up since Arrow McLaren and Juncos Hollinger Racing in 2021. Famed for their driver development in the FIA F1 Ladder, PREMA Racing travelled across the ocean to join the American series with former drivers Callum Ilott and Robert Shwartzman. Like with most new teams, there were teething issues as they settled into the new series.
However, the month of May proved to be a turnaround for the Italian outfit. As the teams set out for the Indy 500 qualifying, no one expected what would come, and it was rookie Shwartzman who shone. Setting an average speed of 232.581 mph, Shwartzman finished sixth and advanced to the Fast 12 qualifying session. The following day, he’d continue to show his raw pace and once again advance to the fast six. Ultimately, he knocked Takuma Sato off the top spot and took pole position with an unbelievable average speed of 235.790 mph. This marked the first rookie on pole for the Indy 500 since Teo Fabi in 1983 and the first rookie team to take pole since Mayer Motor Racing in 1984.
PREMA was able to hold the lead for eight laps, but unfortunately, a retirement and a disqualification saw a bitter end to their inaugural Indy 500. Despite that, they’ll go down in the history books for their impressive pole position. With five top-ten finishes to end the season, the rookie team had plenty of highlights last year.
3. Dixon Wins Again
Scott Dixon is one of the all-time greats in IndyCar. Holding 58 wins, 142 podiums, and six championships, he’s not showing any signs of plateauing. Throughout his 23 seasons in IndyCar, he’s only failed to win in one—his second season in 2004.
2025 got off to a great start for Dixon, finishing second in the opening round. However, it was followed by a string of poor results for the Kiwi, and he didn’t see the podium again in the first half of the season. A gamble on an alternate strategy worked in Dixon’s favour at Mid-Ohio, though. Starting ninth, Dixon opted to go for a conservative, fuel-saving two-stop. With cautions throughout the race, his fuel management saw him carve his way through the grid, and by the end of the race, he was just behind his teammate Palou.
Unusually, Palou had a rare mistake and went off track at Turn 9. This allowed Dixon to take the lead. Despite having to manage less fuel, Dixon was able to maintain the lead and took his 58th career win. Whilst he’d only get one more podium in 2025, Dixon finished third in the standings, and his Mid-Ohio win saw him lengthen his record—now 21 consecutive seasons with a win. Year after year, Dixon never fails to produce quality drives, and his late sweep for the win, ending Palou’s streak, will go down as one of the best moments in 2025.
2. Rasmussen Takes a Maiden Win
Whilst there was action all throughout the grid in 2025, the early season saw a lack of winners, with Palou and Kyle Kirkwood taking the first nine wins. Mid-Ohio and Dixon saw an end to that streak, but as IndyCar reached its penultimate round, it saw the lowest number of winners in over 10 years—five.
Cautions plagued the Milwaukee Mile, and despite five drivers having led laps, it looked as if the win would go Palou’s way. But a brief spell of rain with 41 laps remaining switched it all up. A caution to neutralise the race due to safety was called, and most of the grid took this opportunity to pit for fresh tyres. One of those was ECR’s Christian Rasmussen. On the restart, his fresh tyres proved invaluable, and by lap 230, he was on the heels of leader Palou.
The pair had a brief battle, but ultimately, with older tyres, Palou lost out. Rasmussen took the lead and, within a couple of laps, had a healthy gap behind him. Rasmussen achieved his maiden win, 2.044 seconds ahead of Palou. The Danish rider had only achieved his maiden podium at the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 early that year, and his new win cemented his oval track talent. Underdog Rasmussen gaining an unexpected maiden P1 was an undeniable best moment of the season.
1. Palou: Four-Time Champion
There are many ways to describe Palou’s 2025 season. “Untouchable. Undeniable. Inevitable.” That’s how NTT IndyCar put it. The young Spanish driver achieved his fourth championship, and third in a row. Race after race, there was no stopping him, and completing the three-peat was definitely one of IndyCar’s best moments. The three-peat (winning three championships in a row) was last seen between 2009 and 2011 with Scottish driver Dario Franchitti.
2025 saw Palou join Franchitti in the shortlist of drivers who won both the championship and the Indy 500 in the same year. Whilst Palou wasn’t successful in matching A. J. Foyt and Al Unser’s record of most wins in a season, he did set a new one of his own. Scoring a total of 711 points, this is the highest in IndyCar’s history.
Last year, IndyCar was highlighted by Palou’s dominance, adding him to the list of the best drivers in the world. The complete dominance he demonstrated is only comparable to the likes of Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and Michael Schumacher in Formula 1. And still being early in his career, he’s only just beginning.
With so many ‘best moments’ to choose from, it was an iconic season filled with action and drama. From the best results to amazing overtakes and talent across the grid, IndyCar’s 2025 season saw plenty of highlights. Do you agree with the moments chosen, or does something else stand out for you?
As we turn our eyes to the upcoming season, what will go down this year? Can Palou make it five championships, or will someone be able to usurp him? No matter what happens, moments like the above are bound to occur and make 2026 a thrilling year.