“Everything is growing” - Why champions Honda believe in IndyCar’s long-term potential
- Archie O’Reilly
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
After committing their future to IndyCar with a long-term contract extension ahead of the 2026 season, Honda’s belief in the direction of the sport has grown yet more in recent months as their latest championship-winning campaign comes to a close this weekend.
Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) US president David Salters hailed the increased attention on the series with FOX Sports as broadcast partner, headed by an average 1,731,000 viewers through the 17 races this year - up 27% from the year-one average in 2025.
“The proof, you can see it, can’t you?” Salters said in a media conference at Laguna Seca. “Believing is one thing, but actually you can see where IndyCar is going if you look at this season. We were averaging a million [television viewers]; now it’s almost two million - significantly more than Formula One [in the USA]. It’s starting to catch up to NASCAR.
“Well done FOX. Well done IndyCar. That drives everything. That’s more people watching, more fans. The fans is why we do this so that’s awesome.”
The faith from Honda’s leading executives also goes beyond those metrics. There is continued praise given to the on-track spectacle in which they invest, while the scale of events such as that in Washington D.C. last month continue to enamour a manufacturer whose future in IndyCar was in some doubt this time one year ago.
“It comes down to the product,” Salters said. “The racing is superb. The Indy 500 this year, from start to finish, was one of the best ever Indy 500s. There was stuff happening everywhere. You’re on the edge of your seat everywhere. That’s a proof point.
“Washington was unbelievable. I’ve been doing this for 30 years; I’ve never really seen anything like that. The fly-pass was the best-ever fly-pass that’s happened in sport. I think that’s a fact. So look where we are going. You don’t have to extrapolate; you can see it.
“So super, super optimistic. There’s all these proof points. Everything is growing. Can there be things that can be a little bit better? Well, of course. But actually, if you look at where it is, what’s happening, where it’s going… the product, it’s entertaining. You watch a race, you don’t really know who is going to win. People talk about the overtaking - it’s every lap.”
Honda’s recommitment to the sport, which was confirmed in February alongside an extension for Chevrolet, also stemmed from each of the series’ two engine suppliers being offered a manufacturer charter. This comes into effect in 2028, when IndyCar’s new Dallara IR28 chassis is set to debut in competition.
The charters open the opportunity for both Honda and Chevrolet to partner with an existing team - providing they do not already have three entries - to both run a manufacturer-led car.
The IR28 itself, featuring an updated formula of 2.4-litre twin-turbocharged V6 combustion engines and an evolved hybrid system, and its modernity also appeals to Honda, as IndyCar moves away from the Dallara DW12 after 16 years, come the end of 2027.
“If you look at the new car, in-person it looks awesome,” Salters said. “Then what’s under the hood, there’s going to be a new powertrain, new hybrid system. Then also the way we go about using that car… we have a charter [so] we can get more involved with how we run it. Honda does it to develop as people in these technologies so it has those ingredients.”
Honda’s IndyCar season that started with their contract extension has ended in fine fettle, too, as they clinched their 12th manufacturer championship crown in American open-wheel competition last weekend at the Milwaukee Mile. It marks their second successive title, following their four-year stranglehold on the championship between 2018 and 2021.
“It’s been a fantastic year,” said Kelvin Fu, vice president of HRC US. “Congratulations to IndyCar. Everything this year has been fabulous. The 110th running [of the Indy 500], most exciting finish I think any of us have ever seen. D.C. was amazing. It’s something we’re going to remember for the rest of our lives - and also with D.C.
“That’s the backdrop to everything that’s happened for us. We work really well with all of our teams. All have scored manufacturing points. All podium’d. It’s not just us working in HRC - and we work hard on advancing - but it’s also working closely with all our teams to try to get better at every single track.”
Honda also powered their fourth successive drivers’ title with Álex Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing this year, serving only the second four-peat in IndyCar history. With one round remaining, Palou has taken six of Honda’s 10 wins and eight of their 13 poles this year.
Their headline success was winning their 17th Indianapolis 500 as a manufacturer with Felix Rosenqvist and Meyer Shank Racing in May. But they also swept the six street-course rounds, where they claimed 15 of the 18 available podium slots and led more than 90% of the laps, as well as winning on a shorter oval and twice on road courses with Palou.
“It’s astonishing,” Salters said. “But the lovely thing is you’re adding to Honda’s history. What we’re seeing now is more history being made with Álex Palou. We’re watching greatness. All of us should be amazingly proud and privileged to see the history being made now.
“As always, it’s a thank you. We have the privilege of sitting here but there’s real people doing real work. We have amazing real people doing our work - a whole team of them. We work as a team. We’re privileged to lead that, Kelvin and I.
“Lots of thank yous, really. You learn to be very humble in this game. You lose more than you win, typically. When you have some success, thank the people who deliver that success.”
And unlike one year ago, when Salters and Fu reacted to a manufacturer championship without giving a firm commitment to continuing in IndyCar for the long-term, there is now an outlook that involves attempting to back up this success for possibly decades to come.
“We re-signed with IndyCar for a reason: we love IndyCar racing,” Salters reaffirmed. “We’ve been doing it for 30 years… I sincerely hope we can do it for another 30. I don’t see why we wouldn’t. That is Honda’s DNA inside; it is a racing company.
“The whole [IndyCar] thing is growing. It’s brilliant. The proof points from this year are there. The reason to be optimistic, you can see now - and it will only get better in the future.”
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