2025 IndyCar Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto: Preview and predictions

Pato O'Ward and Alex Palou took victory at the IndyCar Race 1 and Race 2 at the Iowa Speedway, respectively, and teams will now be moving bases to Canada for the IndyCar race in Toronto. The Indy Toronto will be the fourth IndyCar race of the hectic month of July, with another race to follow.

The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto will take place from July 18 to July 20. Friday, July 18, will see the first practice session as the drivers get to grips with the street circuit. The second practice session and the qualifying will take place on Saturday, July 19, with the race being held on Sunday, July 20.

With the race on the horizon and drivers arriving at the land of maple syrup, let's have a look at the preview and predictions for the 2025 IndyCar Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto.

All you need to know about the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto street circuit

The Indy Toronto first appeared on the IndyCar calendar in 1986 when the American open-wheel racing series was known as CART. The race has been on the calendar ever since, except for 2008 (the year when IRL and Champ Car merged to form IndyCar).

The Indy Toronto is the second oldest street race on the IndyCar calendar, with Long Beach being the oldest (debuted in 1975). Ontario Honda Dealers has been the title partner for the Indy Toronto since 2024 and also has the naming rights for the event. The event was previously known as the Honda Indy Toronto.

The race takes place around a 1.786-mile temporary set-up street circuit facility set up in Exhibition Place, located next to Lake Ontario. The circuit features 11 turns with a mixture of long straights and tight corners. The Indy Toronto is the shortest race on the IndyCar calendar, with just 160.72 miles of racing action following 90 laps around the street circuit.

The race begins on the main straight setup on the Princes’ Boulevard before the right Turns 1 & 2 setup in close proximity. The drivers then enter Lake Shore Boulevard, which is the longest straight on the circuit before the hard braking zone of Turn 3, which is a tight right corner.

Turns 4, 5 & 6 are a sequence of medium speed corners in quick succession which lead to the Manitoba Drive. Turn 7 is a slight right kink before a heavy braking zone and right corner, Turn 8. Turns 9, 10, and 11 are a sequence of left-right-left long swooping corners, which lead back to the main straight.

Predictions for the 2025 IndyCar Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto

#1 Colton Herta to win his first race of the 2025 IndyCar season

Colton Herta dominated last year's IndyCar race in Toronto and topped every single practice session, took the pole position, effectively led all the laps, and won the race in a dominant fashion. The Andretti Global driver's 2024 win also ended his two-year winless drought.

Colton Herta at the Streets of Toronto - Source: Getty

Colton Herta's teammate, Kyle Kirkwood, has won three races so far this season, but the 2024 Series runner-up has failed to win any. It has been a combination of bad luck, reliability issues, unforced errors, and sometimes just a lack of pace that has held Herta back.

However, given his past performance around the circuit, it very well might be the circuit where Colton Herta gets his first win of the 2025 season. The 25-year-old American driver has finished the last three Indy Toronto races on the podium.

#2 Team Penske on the rise: To bring in their form from the Iowa Speedway

Josef Newgarden was in a good position to win both the races at Iowa Speedway last week, but was unlucky to lose them. The Team Penske driver had the car to take the top spot, but settled for P2 and P10, respectively. Scott McLaughlin and Will Power also showcased the pace for a podium position, as all three Team Penske drivers finished in the Top 5 in the first race.

NTT INDYCAR Series Sukup Race Weekend - Source: Getty

With the newfound pace, at least one of the Team Penske drivers is expected to continue the strong run and finish the Indy Toronto on the podium.

#3 The tight nature of the circuit leads to multiple cautions

Turn 1 and Turn 3 at Indy Toronto are heavy braking zones after long straights, which provide overtaking opportunities for the drivers. However, the corner exits aren't too wide and often lead to crashes. The 2024 race saw multiple cautions, including a massive 6 car pile-up towards the end of the race. The timing of the cautions is unpredictable and can flip the race on its head.