Written by Archie O’Reilly
Santino Ferrucci has been confirmed to be remaining with AJ Foyt Racing for the 2025 IndyCar season, entering a third season with the team in the No.14 Chevy.
It was announced in August that David Malukas would be joining Foyt from Meyer Shank Racing for next season, leaving some uncertainty over Ferrucci’s status. But both parties were evidently keen to continue together and have struck a solution.
This means Sting Ray Robb will depart Foyt after spending his sophomore season with the team but finding himself second-last in the standings of the full-time drivers in the field with one race remaining. Malukas will inherit No.41 ride.
“I think Larry’s done a great job building the team so they are now in a position to win an Indy 500 and compete for championships,” Ferrucci said. “Everybody that’s there is what made this team’s amazing turnaround.
“We’ve all put a lot of time, energy and hard work into this program and I really want to see it through, not just as the driver but on a personal level too.”
After the season that Ferrucci has had for Foyt, it would have been very difficult for the team to part ways with him. The 26-year-old American has picked up 10 top-10 finishes across 2024 and is on track to record a first career top-10 championship finish - he would become the first Foyt driver to do so in over 20 years.
Headlines from Ferrucci’s 204 season include a pair of fourth-place finishes at the Milwaukee Mile and a first career pole - Foyt’s first in over a decade - at Portland. With one race to run, he is has leaped a lofty nine places better off in points after finishing from 19th in the standings last year.
Ferrucci’s results in 2024 boast a major upturn from only a single top-10 result for Foyt in 2023 - a third-place Indianapolis 500 finish - and only three finishes inside the top 15. By contrast, Ferrucci has only finished outside the top 15 three times in 16 races in 2024, with 11 top-10 finishes for the team after factoring in Robb’s ninth-place result at Gateway.
“I’m thrilled to continue with Santino in the No.14 car,” team president Larry Foyt said. “We have really gelled over the last two seasons and he’s a big part of our recent success. This continuity is great for the team and I believe the pairing of Ferrucci and Malukas next season is a powerful combination for AJ Foyt Racing.”
Foyt has benefitted from a newly-established alliance with Team Penske in 2024, sparking an upturn in road-and-street performance after only one non-oval top-15 finish in 2023. That has increased the allure of the team as an option for the likes of Ferrucci and Malukas.
Both Ferrucci and the team have profited and will continue to profit from continuity, with Ferrucci never having been with a team for more than two full seasons in IndyCar until now. He spent two complete years with Dale Coyne Racing, recording two 13th-place finishes in points in 2019 and 2020.
“I'm happy that Santino's back,” A.J. Foyt said. “We got to know him more and he got to know us and I think it made a difference. He did a great job this year and I hope we have an even better year next year.”
In Ferrucci and Malukas for 2025, Foyt has a pair of proven young drivers with particular prowess on ovals but also versatility and potential across IndyCar’s diverse range of tracks.
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