We are entering the final stretch of IndyCar Wrap-Ups, and we have essentially made it to the podium positions. Andretti Global started the season in flying colors. For the longest time, it was the only team that could defeat Álex Palou and had a slim shot at the championship. However, Andretti could not maintain its pace. The second half of 2025 was disappointing and though it won the second-most races of the season, it was not a glorious year.
Kyle Kirkwood
No driver was closer to Álex Palou than Kyle Kirkwood. No other driver had defeated the Catalan driver but Kirkwood until July, and even that was after a Palou error. It felt like the battle would be between Palou and Kirkwood, with all pressure being on Kirkwood to keep up. He couldn't, and he actually lost ground to other competitors. It was a career year for the Floridian, but for all the positives to draw, this one ended up being more disappointing than you would think possible.
What objectively was his best race?
Kirkwood won three times in 2025, the second-most in the IndyCar season. The first came at Long Beach when Kirkwood led most of the way, but he had a fierce Álex Palou in his mirrors, keeping Kirkwood honest through the checkered flag. Kirkwood was the best driver at Detroit, but he still needed to make some passes to get back to the front after a caution came out during the start of a pit cycle. Kirkwood was able to make the moves and take the victory. The following week saw Kirkwood drive intelligently at Gateway, and though he did not lead a large number of laps, he paced himself to take the lead during the final pit cycle and score his first career oval victory.
What subjectively was his best race?
Detroit was Kirkwood's strongest day, but winning Gateway and doing it by stopping early in a pit cycle to jump ahead of the likes of Scott Dixon and Patricio O'Ward was a significant moment for Kirkwood. The American has had some good days on ovals, but he had not pulled through for a victory. At Gateway, he ran exclusively at the front and pulled off a strategy that put him on top.
What objectively was his worst race?
Disqualification at the Indianapolis 500 for illegally modified covers to the hybrid system meant Kirkwood was dropped from sixth to 32nd.
What subjectively was his worst race?
The Iowa weekend was particularly rough for Kirkwood. The pace was never quite there and an accident brought an early end to his first race. In the second race, Kirkwood went off-strategy and it put him in the lead for a moment. The race was never going to end in victory, but it could have netted him a top ten finish when he had spent most of the race in the back-half of the field. However, the caution for Kirkwood's teammate Colton Herta's accident trapped him a lap down and he finished 18th.
Kyle Kirkwood's 2025 Statistics
Championship Position: 4th (433 points)
Wins: 3
Podiums: 3
Top Fives: 5
Top Tens: 10
Laps Led: 114
Poles: 1
Fast Sixes: 4
Fast Twelves: 7
Average Start: 11.9411
Average Finish: 10.764
Wins: 3
Podiums: 3
Top Fives: 5
Top Tens: 10
Laps Led: 114
Poles: 1
Fast Sixes: 4
Fast Twelves: 7
Average Start: 11.9411
Average Finish: 10.764
Colton Herta
After ending 2024 finishing second in the championship and with a victory to close out the season, it felt like 2025 was lining up to be Herta's year. That didn't happen. Sadly, Herta slipped back into the above-average rut he populated in 2022 and 2023. We would see the good, but we rarely saw great, someone who was doing something spectacular. Herta never came close to being a force in 2025, but that hasn't stopped him from getting a promotion.
What objectively was his best race?
Twice was Herta third this season. The first time was at Detroit where he won pole position but Kirkwood had the better race car. Herta was in Kirkwood's footsteps the entire race. If Santino Ferrucci had not stopped on the right side of the late caution, this would have been a 1-2 finish. Herta's other third-place result was at Laguna Seca. No one was touching Álex Palou at Laguna Seca, and Herta was in the battle for second with Christian Lundgaard.
What subjectively was his best race?
Herta's best chance at victory was Detroit. If Kyle Kirkwood was not in that race, it would have been Herta controlling the race from the front and likely winning in dominant fashion.
What objectively was his worst race?
Herta was 25th at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis after he damaged his front wing on the second lap of the race. A slow pit stop followed. Soon, Herta was off the lead lap and that is where he spent most of the race.
What subjectively was his worst race?
I know I just said Detroit was Herta's best chance at victory. Scratch that. Herta's best chance was the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg where Herta led the drivers who got off the alternate tire on lap two under the first caution of the season. It felt like everything lined up for Herta to cycle to the lead and potentially start the season with a victory. However, a botched pit stop cost him dearly and instead of winning the race, he opened the season 16th, which kind of set the tone of the season.
Colton Herta's 2025 Statistics
Championship Position: 7th (372 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 2
Top Fives: 5
Top Tens: 8
Laps Led: 21
Poles: 2
Fast Sixes: 8
Fast Twelves: 8
Average Start: 10.4705
Average Finish: 10.882
Wins: 0
Podiums: 2
Top Fives: 5
Top Tens: 8
Laps Led: 21
Poles: 2
Fast Sixes: 8
Fast Twelves: 8
Average Start: 10.4705
Average Finish: 10.882
Marcus Ericsson
There were growing pains in 2024 with Ericsson joining the Andretti Global organization, but the hope was the Swede would take a leap forward as he did in his second season with Chip Ganassi Racing. Things started on the right note with a sixth at St. Petersburg, but Ericsson found himself stuck in the back-half of the field. Too often, he was an afterthought, well off his teammates and well off where we know his ability can take him.
What objectively was his best race?
The only top five finish of the season for Ericsson was fifth at Toronto. An early pit stop paid off for Ericsson as it kept him at the front and he was able to hold his ground.
What subjectively was his best race?
On the road, Ericsson was second in the Indianapolis 500, and he was leading before Álex Palou made his daring move to take the point. Ericsson had good pace, but at one point he was shuffled out of the top twenty on the main strategy. An audible allowed Ericsson to run a more aggressive strategy and it put him in the lead after the final pit cycle.
However, while Ericsson led, he could not put separation between himself and Palou, and Palou took advantage when the moment presented itself with 14 laps to go to take the lead. Ericsson remained close but he could not get back ahead.
What objectively was his worst race?
As we know, Ericsson also was disqualified for the illegal hybrid cover, and instead of finishing second, Ericsson was classified in 31st in the final results for the Indianapolis 500.
What subjectively was his worst race?
It is hard to pinpoint one race, but it is the case of Ericsson not taking a step forward in year two with Andretti Global. He was 15th in the championship in 2024 and ended up 20th in 2025. He had four top five finishes in 2024 and ended 2025 with one. He had two top ten finishes the entire season. It wasn't one bad race but a season that was somehow more woeful than the one prior that has you lost for words.
Marcus Ericsson's 2025 Statistics
Championship Position: 20th (218 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 2
Top Tens: 2
Laps Led: 20
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 2
Fast Twelves: 7
Average Start: 12.8235
Average Finish: 15.588
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 2
Top Tens: 2
Laps Led: 20
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 2
Fast Twelves: 7
Average Start: 12.8235
Average Finish: 15.588
An Early Look Ahead
For a team that won three races and had two drivers finish in the top ten of the championship, Andretti Global is undergoing one of its biggest shakeups yet. With Colton Herta becoming a development driver for the Cadillac F1 team and about to run Formula Two as a way to acclimate to the global scene, Andretti Global hired Will Power as Herta's replacement.
It should be an improvement in talent, and Andretti Global should be in for one of its best seasons since its most recent championship in 2012. Though talent has not been what has kept Andretti Global from coming out on top. This is an organization that goes into a slump across the board, and we saw that in the second half of 2025.
Power will bring a fire this organization has never seen with a driver. Considering Andretti's street course prowess in recent seasons, Power could come out of the box hot with two of the first three races and three of the first five being street events. Power should force everyone at Andretti to raise its game, but he will turn 45 years old on the day of the 2026 season opener. While he did win a championship four years ago, in the last three seasons, he has had a winless season and it took him 15 races to win in 2025. He has also won only three pole positions over the last 51 races. In the 51 races prior to that, Power had 11 pole positions.
The hope will be Power still has some of that magic in him, and motivated after a semi-unpleasant departure from Team Penske, he will look to prove his previous employer wrong.
Every year it feels like the most of the pieces are there for Andretti Global, but there are always a few missing. Last year, it was the second half of the season. Kirkwood might not have been able to keep pace with Palou, but through the first eight races he was set to at least be second in the championship, and then the speed vanished. Bringing in Will Power will not complete the puzzle for the entire organization, but bringing Ron Ruzewski as team principal should be a step to lift all three entries and have the team be more competitive over all 17 races.
Kirkwood should be fine even if he finishes behind Power in the championship. Ericsson must do something greater than we have seen in the last two years, and even that it might not be enough. With Dennis Hauger farmed out to Dale Coyne Racing for the 2026 season, the writing could be on the wall and Ericsson could be in a lame-duck season for the Andretti group no matter what, but he cannot afford to finish as far behind his teammates as he has the last two years.
Considering the talent of all three drivers and the resources poured into the program, the expectation should be for all three Andretti drivers to finish in the top ten of the championship, a number the team has not hit since 2018. The team should be competitive and make some waves, but don't expect things to remain the same going into 2027.
