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In recent years, IndyCar's viewership numbers haven't grown considerably, but the open-wheeler series' drivers are witnessing substantial growth in global popularity. With global motorsports like F1 tapping into the untapped American audience, North America-specific racing series like IndyCar are benefitting too.
However, instead of being seen as something junior or inferior to F1, IndyCar's uniqueness stands out. Its first-class wheel-to-wheel racing action on ovals, street circuits, superspeedways, and road circuits displays the drivers' versatility like no other. And not to mention the top speed of 240mph of the cars.
Moreover, the cars are designed on a spec system. For the unversed, this just means that all Indy cars are nearly identical. This ignites a special competition among its drivers, where even a rookie can win the prestigious Indy500 on pure merit.
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As a result, the careers of youngsters can take off rather quickly, and this is often reflected in their social media popularity. In most cases, that directly translates into bigger sponsorship deals. Using that as a segue, here's a look at the Top 10 most followed IndyCar drivers on Instagram. (There are quite a few surprise entries to follow)
#10 Scott McLaughlin - 163K
Scott McLaughlin is on quite a run with Team Penske. He has outclassed his championship-winning teammates in the last two seasons, recording his second consecutive P3 finish in the standings. After 4 years in the series, the New Zealand racer's eyes are set on the ultimate prize for 2025.
McLaughlin's partnerships with brands like Good Ranchers put him in the front seat to connect with a wide audience. He also shares glimpses from his personal life and the occasional golf sessions to give his 163,000 followers an up-close view of his life.
#9 Callum Ilott - 169K
Callum Ilott is a very versatile racing driver. He rose through the junior ranks in the Formula Series, becoming an F1 test driver for Ferrari and a reserve driver for Alfa Romeo (now Kick Sauber). He raced for Juncos Hollinger Racing in IndyCar from 2021 to 2023 and drove temporarily for Arrow McLaren in 2024.
The British driver also won the 2024 WEC Cup with Jota Sport in the Hypercar category. With such a rich experience to boast of, PREMA Racing, which will join IndyCar in 2025, signed Ilott for a full-time seat. He has 169K followers on Instagram.
#8 Theo Pourchaire - 185K
Theo Pourchaire has quickly become a known name in the open-wheeler racing world. The French racer won the F2 championship with ART Grand Prix in 2023 and was later linked with an Audi F1 seat for 2025. Though that didn't work out, he continued serving as a reserve driver for Alfa Romeo.
In mid-2024, Arrow McLaren signed Pourchaire to replace the injured David Malukas. In a turbulent half-season, he showed his caliber with a best finish of P10. While most of his Instagram posts center around facets of his racing career, he occasionally lets his 185K followers in on his personal life.
#7 Marcus Ericsson - 278K
Marcus Ericsson is a winner of the Indy 500. The Swedish racer won the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" in 2022 with Chip Ganassi Racing. You might also know him from the viral "Ericsson hit me" F1 meme feat. Romain Grosjean, during his time at Sauber.
In 2024, Ericsson joined Andretti Global and finished 15th in the standings with four Top 5 finishes. He has 278K followers on Instagram.
#6 Agustin Canapino - 350K
Agustin Canapino is an Argentine hero. He is the son of renowned race car mechanic Alberto Canapino and drove for Juncos Hollinger Racing in 2024. In 2018, he won the award for Argentine Sportsman of the year.
Canapino has 350K followers on Instagram and displayed his driving versatility by racing in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the 24 hours of Daytona.
#5 Pietro Fittipaldi - 352K
Pietro Fittipaldi is a Brazilian racer who drove for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in the 2024 IndyCar series. He was born into a racing family as a grandson to two-time F1 champ Emerson Fittipaldi.
He is a reserve driver for the Haas F1 team and also drove for Jota Sport in the 2023 WEC. Fittipaldi has 352K followers on Instagram who get to see his fun promotional videos for Haas and a good amount of behind-the-scenes peek into the F1 life.
#4 Kyle Larson - 375K
Kyle Larson is a well-established NASCAR driver, having won his maiden Cup Series in 2021 with Hendrick Motorsports. In 2024, he got his first taste of IndyCar racing, driving for Arrow McLaren in the Indy 500.
He was named the Rookie of the Year for the race and has confirmed his participation in the Indy 500's 109th running in 2025. The American racer boasts of 375K followers on Instagram.
#3 Pato O'Ward - 752K
Pato O'Ward is a full-time IndyCar driver for Arrow McLaren and also serves as McLaren F1's reserve driver. The Mexican racer is a two-time class winner at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
In 2018, O'Ward also won the Indy NXT championship before advancing to the NTT IndyCar series. Barring a P7 championship finish in 2022, he has consistently been in the Top 5 in the standings, with a best P3 finish in 2021. O'ward has 752K followers on Instagram.
#2 Robert Shwartzman - 1.6 million
Robert Shwartzman is a Formula 3 champion and was a member of the Ferrari driver academy. The Russian-Israeli driver also served as a test driver for DS Penske in the Formula E series.
In 2023 and 2024, Schwartzman also raced for AF Corse in the WEC in the Hypercar category. He will make his full-time IndyCar debut in 2025 with PREMA Racing and already has 1.6 million Instagram followers.
#1 Romain Grosjean - 1.8 million
In addition to his exploits in F1 and IndyCar, Romain Grosjean will forever remembered as the man who walked out of a burning F1 car after being trapped inside for 28 long seconds. He drove for the Haas F1 team till 2020 before switching disciplines to IndyCar.
In 2024, he drove for Juncos Hollinger Racing, finishing P17 in the standings. Though his 2025 future is uncertain, Grosjean is the most-followed IndyCar driver on Instagram with 1.8 million followers.
