Top IndyCar seats still up for grabs as the Silly Season nears its end

The 2025 IndyCar season with uncertainty around Will Power's Team Penske future. However, as the season ended, the announcement of the Australian leaving his team of 17 years began the silly season, following multiple driver changes.

However, most of the transfers have been made, and the Silly season is nearing its end. Will Power moved to Andretti Global as Colton Herta made his move to F1 for Cadillac. David Malukas replaced Power at Team Penske, leaving a seat available at AJ Foyt Racing, which hasn't yet been filled.

On the other side, Rinus VeeKay left Dale Coyne Racing and joined Juncos Hollinger Racing, leaving Conor Daly with a confirmed IndyCar seat for 2026. VeeKay's seat was filled by 2025 Indy NXT champion Dennis Hauger as DCR got into a technical alliance with Andretti Global.

Only a handful of IndyCar seats are now available, with the silly season coming to an end. Let's have a look at the seats that are available and the potential candidates to fill those seats.

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Dale Coyne Racing and AJ Foyt Racing: The two confirmed IndyCar seats are still available for grabs

Santino Ferrucci and David Malukas formed the lineup for AFR in 2025. With Malukas leaving for Team Penske, his seat is still up for grabs. Rinus VeeKay was linked to a move to AFR before reports came out suggesting the Dutchman was not in the race for that seat, before he eventually announced his move to JHR.

NTT Indy Car Series Bommarito Automotive Group 500 - Source: Getty

Conor Daly could still be an option for AFR, as the IndyCar Veteran ran a full-time season in 2025 and managed some good results. However, Caio Collet, the 2025 Indy NXT runner-up up has been reported as the favorite partner with Santino Ferrucci for the 2026 season.

Collet has participated in a couple of post-season tests with AJ Foyt Racing, and the team is reportedly content with his pace.

Moving on to Dale Coyne Racing, Rinus VeeKay and rookie Jacob Abel formed the team's lineup for 2025. VeeKay left the team after the season, whereas Jacob Abel failed to impress and finished last among the full-time drivers in the standings.

One of the seats has already been filled with Dennis Hauger, and multiple drivers are reportedly in contention for the remaining seat. Former F1 star Romain Grosjean’s name has popped up as a possible driver to partner Hauger at DCR for 2026. Conor Daly and Linus Lundqvist are also in contention, with Jacob Abel possibly in contention for making a return to the team after a difficult rookie season.

The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing IndyCar test with Mick Schumacher and the rumored seat available at the team

F1 Grand Prix of Austria - Previews - Source: Getty

Devlin DeFrancesco, Graham Rahal, and Louis Foster formed the team's lineup for the 2025 season. Both Rahal and Foster have been confirmed to be with the team for the next season. However, DeFrancesco, who also has a contract with the team for the upcoming season, reportedly had a performance clause in his contract.

And with Mick Schumacher testing the IndyCar with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course earlier this month, it might be a possibility for the former F1 star to replace the Canadian going into the 2026 season. However, nothing has been confirmed as of yet, and Devlin DeFrancesco's two-year contract suggests he will continue with the team.