We’re just past the halfway point of the 2025 IndyCar Series season, with nine races completed and eight more to go. In terms of the overall standings, the order is clear: Alex Palou is in a league of his own, with only Kyle Kirkwood somewhat able to follow his pace. But for every driver on the grid, the first goal is to beat their teammate(s). So how do the intra-team dynamics stack up?

AJ Foyt Racing

Head-to-head	Qualifying	Race
Santino Ferrucci / David Malukas	2-7	6-3

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AJ Foyt Racing had a rough start to the season, but has been gradually improving, highlighted by David Malukas’ second-place finish in the Indy 500 and two podiums for Santino Ferrucci (one with an illegal car, though the second-place finish in Detroit was allowed to stand). As a result, the team has recently been outperforming even its technical partner, the powerhouse Team Penske.

Looking at the head-to-head battle between drivers Ferrucci and Malukas, a striking pattern emerges: Malukas clearly dominates in qualifying, while Ferrucci outperforms his teammate during the races.

Andretti Global

Head-to-head	Qualifying	Race
Colton Herta / Kyle Kirkwood	6-3	3-6
Colton Herta / Marcus Ericsson	7-2	7-2
Kyle Kirkwood / Marcus Ericsson	5-4	8-1

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The differences within Andretti Global this season are huge. Kyle Kirkwood has been the surprise of the year and is the only driver other than Alex Palou to have won races — no fewer than three! Colton Herta has been underwhelming and barely holds a spot in the top ten. Marcus Ericsson, meanwhile, is having a disastrous season, often running at the back. His one highlight —a second-place finish in the Indy 500— was nullified when his car failed inspection.

Looking at the head-to-head battles, Herta stands out as the strongest qualifier among the Andretti Global drivers. Despite his poor season, Ericsson is not much worse than Kirkwood in qualifying. But in the races, the story is completely different —Kirkwood regularly outruns both teammates. Ericsson, on the other hand, is consistently the third-best driver on the team during races.

Arrow McLaren

Head-to-head	Qualifying	Race
Pato O'Ward / Christian Lundgaard	5-4	6-3
Pato O'Ward / Nolan Siegel	7-2	8-1
Christian Lundgaard / Nolan Siegel	7-2	7-2

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At McLaren, the team seems to have made a smart move by replacing Alexander Rossi with Christian Lundgaard —the Dane has already proven to be much more of a match for Pato O’Ward than Rossi ever was. Without Palou’s dominance, Lundgaard would’ve been the story of the early season. However, in recent races, Lundgaard has slightly faded. The Lundgaard/O’Ward duo is miles ahead of Nolan Siegel, who, in his first full season, still can’t keep up with his teammates. Still, two top-ten finishes are small bright spots for the 20-year-old.

Looking at head-to-head battles, O’Ward and Lundgaard are very evenly matched in qualifying, which is a good sign for Lundgaard. Siegel is clearly trailing, though it’s encouraging that he’s managed to beat both teammates on two occasions. In the races, O’Ward uses his experience to create a gap to Lundgaard. Once again, it's a positive sign for Siegel that he's had better races, but he is no match for O'Ward and Lundgaard.

Dale Coyne Racing

Head-to-head	Qualifying	Race
Rinus VeeKay / Jacob Abel	9-0	7-1

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After a disastrous 2024 season, 2025 must feel like a relief for Dale Coyne Racing. Even though Rinus VeeKay was only confirmed just before the season started, he has already scored five top-ten finishes in nine races —compared to zero last year! With VeeKay, the team is all but guaranteed a spot in the Leader Circle. The addition of engineer Michael Cannon seems to open the door for an even stronger second half of the season.

Jacob Abel, meanwhile, is struggling in a very tough rookie year and is often at the back of the pack. It was therefore no surprise when he failed to qualify for the Indy 500. However, in the junior categories, Abel has shown he can grow over time and that’s what the team must hope for.

The internal team battle at Dale Coyne Racing is very straightforward: VeeKay is always faster than Abel in both qualifying and races. The only time Abel finished ahead was in Detroit, when VeeKay dropped out from a solid top-ten position due to a faulty spark plug.

Ed Carpenter Racing

Head-to-head	Qualifying	Race
Alexander Rossi / Christian Lundgaard	7-2	7-2

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Ed Carpenter Racing needed to take a big step forward in 2025, as a result of a significantly increased budget from investor Ted Gelov. Alexander Rossi was brought in as the new team leader, but so far, the team still finds itself in the same position as last year. While Rossi has shown flashes of speed, he hasn't been able to translate that into strong results. Interestingly, Christian Rasmussen has managed two standout finishes (sixth at Indianapolis and third at WWT Raceway), but overall remains a step behind Rossi.

Rossi’s role as team leader is reflected in the fact that he's been faster than his teammate in both qualifying and races seven times. However, it's a bit painful for Rossi that the two races Rasmussen outpaced him were also the team’s best results.

Chip Ganassi Racing

Head-to-head	Qualifying	Race
Alex Palou / Scott Dixon	7-2	7-2
Alex Palou / Kyffin Simpson	9-0	8-1
Scott Dixon / Kyffin Simpson	6-3	7-2

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It’s another strong season at Chip Ganassi Racing, largely thanks to Alex Palou. With six wins in nine races, the Spaniard is doing what’s rarely seen in the IndyCar Series, capped off by his first-ever Indy 500 victory. Scott Dixon started strong with a second-place finish, but has otherwise relied on consistent performances. Kyffin Simpson is showing occasional improvement compared to his rookie season, helped greatly by Ganassi’s brilliant strategy work.

The internal team battles are clearly in Palou’s favor. The fight between Dixon and Simpson is more compelling, with Simpson even outpacing the six-time champion in three qualifying sessions.

Juncos Hollinger Racing

Head-to-head	Qualifying	Race
Conor Daly / Sting Ray Robb	7-2	7-2

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Despite relying more heavily on funded drivers this year, Juncos Hollinger Racing has shown surprising pace at times. The biggest shock likely came from Sting Ray Robb at Long Beach, where the third-year driver scored his first top-ten finish. Conor Daly continues to shine on ovals, battling for the win at the Indy 500 and finishing top ten in both oval races. With four more ovals to go, that bodes well for the second half of the season.

Daly’s oval strength isn’t just limited to those tracks —he’s consistently ahead of Robb. While Robb has made some progress in his third season, there’s still a long way to go for him to be consistently competitive.

Meyer Shank Racing

Head-to-head	Qualifying	Race
Felix Rosenqvist / Marcus Armstrong	5-4	6-3

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Thanks to its technical alliance with Chip Ganassi Racing, Meyer Shank Racing has taken a major leap forward. Both cars have been highly competitive in most races, with Felix Rosenqvist sitting in fourth in the championship as a result. Marcus Armstrong has logged five top-ten finishes, but still has too many off days.

Even though Armstrong has significantly less experience than Rosenqvist, the qualifying battle between them is quite close, with Rosenqvist narrowly leading. In races, Rosenqvist’s experience gives him the edge, while Armstrong still struggles a bit over full race distances.

Prema

Head-to-head	Qualifying	Race
Callum Ilott / Robert Shwartzman	7-2	4-5

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The 2025 season is clearly a learning year for Prema, reflected in their results —except for Robert Shwartzman’s stunning pole position at the Indy 500. That was a much-needed highlight for the rookie, who’d been hampered by technical issues. The Italian team is on an upward trajectory, with its first top-ten finish coming via Shwartzman at WWT Raceway.

The head-to-head battle between Shwartzman and Callum Ilott is intriguing. Due in part to frequent technical problems, Shwartzman has often trailed Ilott in qualifying. However, despite Ilott’s greater experience, it’s Shwartzman who more often finishes ahead in races. As an IndyCar veteran, you'd expect a bit more from Ilott, but the gap between the two remains relatively small.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Head-to-head	Qualifying	Race
Graham Rahal / Louis Foster	3-6	6-3
Graham Rahal / Devlin DeFrancesco	6-3	7-2
Louis Foster / Devlin DeFrancesco	6-3	4-5

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Losing Christian Lundgaard to McLaren over the winter was a blow for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, but the team found a solid replacement in reigning Indy NXT champion Louis Foster. For a rookie to consistently outqualify more experienced teammates is impressive —and grabbing a pole in just your ninth race is even more so. Foster still struggles during races, an area he clearly needs to improve.

Graham Rahal is performing as he has in recent years: consistently midfield with some standout performances. He made the most of the team’s pace in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis by finishing sixth, but continues to lack speed on ovals. Devlin DeFrancesco is slightly exceeding expectations, especially considering he spent a year on the sidelines.

Looking at the head-to-head battles, Foster is the qualifying ace, while Rahal tends to shine on race day. If DeFrancesco catches a lucky break with strategy, he might crack the top ten —a feat he has yet to accomplish in two and a half IndyCar seasons.

Team Penske

Head-to-head	Qualifying	Race
Josef Newgarden / Scott McLaughlin	1-8	4-5
Josef Newgarden / Will Power	4-5	2-7
Scott McLaughlin / Will Power	7-2	4-5

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‘Penske Perfect’ feels far from reality in 2025. With arguably the strongest lineup in the series across three cars, Team Penske drivers are usually closely matched. But this season has been disappointing: their top driver, Will Power, sits just seventh in the championship. Power, Josef Newgarden, and Scott McLaughlin have each scored just one podium —and only a third place at that. Newgarden being 17th in the standings says a lot.

The disqualification of Newgarden and Power after Indy 500 qualifying was a self-inflicted blow. Still, bad luck played a role —Newgarden retired from the Indy 500 with technical issues and later crashed out from the lead at WWT Raceway after colliding with a spinning Louis Foster. But luck isn’t the whole story —especially not for Newgarden, who hasn’t made the Firestone Fast 6 even once this year.

Traditionally, Penske drivers are closely matched in internal battles. In 2025, that’s not the case. McLaughlin has been the clear leader in qualifying and is at least even with Power in races. Newgarden, however, is struggling —particularly in qualifying. With four oval races left, the American will be desperate to notch a much-needed win.