Prema hopes to be competitive in its debut season in the IndyCar Series. The drivers of the newest IndyCar team find it difficult to set concrete goals at this stage, but being able to compete in the field is certainly an important objective.

Callum Ilott

Prema starts the season with two relatively inexperienced drivers. The most experienced of them is Callum Ilott, who competed in the full IndyCar season for Juncos Hollinger Racing in 2022 and 2023. Last year, the Brit was unable to secure a full-time seat but was given the opportunity to race three times for McLaren as a replacement for the injured David Malukas. After finishing 20th and 16th in the championship, he finds it difficult to predict what he can achieve for his new employer in 2025.

"I think it’s too early to say what would make this a successful season," Ilott said. "That’s a question I’d probably want to answer after the first two or three races. First, we need to see where we start and then determine where we go from there, because street courses could go one way, road courses another, and the ovals are a completely different challenge."

"Until I’ve done at least one race on each type of track, I can’t really set the tone. But by the end of the season, I see no reason why we can’t be pretty competitive."

Robert Schwartzman

With Robert Shwartzman, the team has also brought in a rookie, though he is no stranger to the Italian team. The Russian-Israeli driver won the Formula 3 title with Prema in 2019 and finished second in the Formula 2 championship in 2021. After spending three years in sports cars, Shwartzman is returning to single-seaters this year—but in a completely new environment.

"I’ve spent about 20 years racing in Europe, from karting to junior formulas and the highest levels, including a role as a Formula 1 reserve driver," Shwartzman reflected. "Coming here feels like a breath of fresh air. At some point, after 20 years, you already know all the tracks, you know all the people. Here, everything is new. It’s cool."

"Last year, in 2024, I raced in hypercars and WEC, and we were in Austin. So I thought: that’s another great advantage. I have a good vibe here in the U.S. because we took the win there. I’m really looking forward to racing here. We’re rookies. We have nothing to lose, only to gain. That’s the mentality."