Second-year driverÁlex Palou became the first Spanish driver to win the series championship,[1] winning a joint-most three races during the campaign for Chip Ganassi Racing. He finished 38 points clear ofTeam Penske'sJosef Newgarden, who won two races, and finished second in points for the second year in succession.[2] Third place in the championship went toPato O'Ward ofArrow McLaren SP, who like Newgarden, won two races during the season. A total of nine drivers won races during the season, withColton Herta (Andretti Autosport) also winning three races.[2] The Manufacturers' Cup was won byHonda for the fourth consecutive season, whileScott McLaughlin (Team Penske) won Rookie of the Year honors.[2]
2021 was to be the final season that theDallara DW12 UAK18 andDallara DW12 chassis package (which debuted in2012 and2018 respectively) was to be used in competition. It was also scheduled to be the final season for the 2.2-litreV6twin-turbocharged engine package that debuted in2012; in October 2020, this was delayed for an additional season, as a consequence of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[3]
The following teams, entries, and drivers have been announced to compete in the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series season. All teams will use aspecDallara DW12 chassis withUAK18 aero kit andFirestone tires.
Seven-timeNASCAR Cup SerieschampionJimmie Johnson partnered withChip Ganassi Racing to finalize sponsorship on a program to run all of IndyCar's road/street courses in 2021–2022.[28] On October 24, 2020, the car number and primary sponsor for Johnson's car were announced, respectively the No. 48 (Johnson's long-time NASCAR number, withHendrick Motorsports, and a number Ganassi had previously fielded in the Xfinity Series) andCarvana.[60]
Arrow McLaren SP announced thatOliver Askew, who had driven the No. 7 car in 2020, would not return to the team for the 2021 season.[20]Felix Rosenqvist moved fromChip Ganassi Racing to replace Askew.[21] Askew came back to the No. 7 car for the second race in Detroit, as Rosenqvist was hospitalized after an accident in the weekend's first race.[22] Rosenqvist was then replaced for the next race atRoad America by former Formula One andHaas reserve driverKevin Magnussen after not being medically cleared to drive.
Team Penske announced that three-timeSupercars champion Scott McLaughlin would race full-time for the team in IndyCar in 2021.[62]
Chip Ganassi Racing re-signedTony Kanaan to a two-year contract to contest the oval events, in complement to Jimmie Johnson's road & street course schedule in the No. 48 entry.[30] Kanaan previously drove for the team between 2014 and 2017.
Paretta Autosport, a new team run by former Dodge/SRT Motorsports director Beth Paretta, announced thatSimona de Silvestro drove a Team Penske-engineered Chevrolet in the Indianapolis 500. This was de Silvestro's first IndyCar and Indianapolis 500 appearance since2015.[47]
Dale Coyne Racing withRick Ware Racing announced thatRomain Grosjean would be racing for the team, driving the No. 51 entry on road and street circuits, after 10 seasons inFormula One.[66]Pietro Fittipaldi drove the No. 51 on the ovals. Fittipaldi returned to the IndyCar Series for the first time since2018.[67] The team later announced thatCody Ware would make his IndyCar debut atRoad America driving the No. 52 for Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing.[35]Ryan Norman piloted the No. 52 at Mid-Ohio.
On October 28, 2020, it was announced thatDragonSpeed, who competed on a part-time basis in the previous 2 seasons, left the IndyCar Series.[70]
Team Penske ended their partnership withSupercars teamDick Johnson Racing (with whom McLaughlin won his three titles) to make room for another IndyCar entry and thus returned to competing with four cars for the first time since 2017.
Chip Ganassi Racing also returned to a regular four-car team for the first time since 2017.
Dale Coyne Racing announced a partnership withRick Ware Racing (who field full- and part-time entries in numerous other series including theNASCAR Cup andAsian Le Mans Series) for the full season, changing the number of the team's second entry from No. 19 to No. 51.
On February 18, 2021,Andretti Autosport mentioned that James Hinchcliffe's No. 29 entry would compete under the banner of "Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport", with one of the partners from the formerAndretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport entry, George Steinbrenner IV, returning as a partner.[72]
On August 3, 2021, the newly renamedJuncos Hollinger Racing announced that it would return to top-level IndyCar competition for the first time since the2019 Indianapolis 500, contesting the final three races of 2021 in preparation for a full-time campaign beginning in 2022. The announcement also mentioned that formerWilliams F1 shareholder Brad Hollinger had become a co-owner of the team.[43]
On December 17, 2020, it was announced that in order to provide "the best opportunity to provide our guests with a fun and exciting experience in a safe and unrestricted environment", the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach would be rescheduled from April 18 to September 26, becoming the season finale. Combined with the Portland and Laguna Seca events, this formed a three-race west coast swing to conclude the season, while for the second consecutive year the season would conclude with a street course race.[79]
On January 6, 2021, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg was rescheduled to April 25 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the season opener being moved to Barber Motorsports Park.[80]
On January 22, 2021, the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama was rescheduled to April 18 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and was now on NBC network television.[81]
On May 14, 2021, the Honda Indy Toronto was cancelled for a second successive season, due to the restrictions imposed in Ontario because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[82]
At all races except the Indy 500, the pole position qualifier earned 1 point (unless qualifying is not held).[87] The top nine Indy 500 qualifiers received points, descending from 9 points for the pole position.[87] At double header races, the fastest qualifier of each qualifying group earned 1 point.[87]
Drivers who lead at least one race lap were awarded 1 point.[86] The driver who leads the most laps during a race scored an additional 2 points.[86]
Entrant-initiated engine change-outs before the engine reached their required distance run resulted in the loss of 10 points.[88]
All manufacturer points (including qualifying points, race finish points, and race win bonus points) could only be earned by full-season entrants,[89] and provided they were using an engine from their initial allocation, or had mileaged out all previously used engines.[90] Ineligible cars were removed from the finishing order used for race finish points,[91] and could not score pole or win bonus points.[92]
The top two finishing entrants from each manufacturer in each race scored points for their respective manufacturer. The manufacturer that won each race was awarded five additional points.
At all races except the Indy 500, the manufacturer who qualified on pole earned one point. At the Indy 500, the fastest Saturday qualifier earned one point, while the pole position winner on Sunday earned two points.
^abQualifying for Texas was cancelled due to rain. The grid was set by entrant points entering the race, and no bonus point was awarded for pole position.[86]
Álex Palou
Honda
Scott McLaughlin
Hélio Castroneves
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