Marcus Ericsson set the benchmark for a massive year-over-year climb by leaping from 20th in 2025 to seventh in the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series standings. His 13-position jump was the largest among the 25 full-time drivers that season, though three of those cars were handled by rookies. Now, the paddock is left wondering who will pull off a similar surge. With three Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winners—none other than Will Power, Scott Dixon, and Alexander Rossi—landing outside the top 10 in 2026, the question is whether they can claw their way back or if new faces will steal the spotlight.
Naturally, the rest of the grid remains in hot pursuit of Alex Palou. The reigning champion secured his fifth NTT IndyCar Series title in 2026, sealing the deal within the past six seasons. His four consecutive championships have now tied the legendary series record set by Sebastien Bourdais between 2004 and 2007.
Scott McLaughlin enters 2027 with his sights set squarely on the Astor Challenge Cup championship trophy. Closing out 2026 with three straight top-five finishes—including a dominant victory from pole in the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca finale—proved his raw speed. He could have strung together seven consecutive top-eight results had a late crash on the streets of Washington not derailed his race while battling Kyle Kirkwood for the lead. After ironing out a longer-than-expected adjustment period with his new engineer, strategist, and spotter, McLaughlin looks ready to chase his first series crown after previous best finishes of third in 2023 and 2024.
Will Power is looking to rebound after finishing 11th in 2026, which snapped an incredible streak of top-10 finishes in every full-time season dating back to 2009. That campaign was his first with Andretti Global following 17 years with Team Penske, and going winless while teammates Kirkwood and Ericsson claimed three victories combined was a shock. Still, the two-time series champion found his rhythm late in the year, rattling off three consecutive third-place finishes in August and leading laps in 12 of the 18 races. His five total podium finishes were bested only by Palou, Christian Lundgaard, David Malukas, and Kirkwood.
Scott Dixon saw the end of two monumental streaks in 2026, as his 21-year run with at least one victory and his 20-year streak of finishing in the top six of the championship standings both came to a close after an 12th-place finish. A switch to Arrow McLaren for 2027 gives Dixon a fresh start. With McLaren putting two drivers in the top five of the standings for the past two seasons, the veteran with 59 career victories and six titles has every tool needed to join new teammate Pato O'Ward near the front.
Marcus Armstrong suffered through agonizing near-misses in 2026. He led the Lap 199 restart of the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge before Malukas and then-teammate Felix Rosenqvist got past him, ultimately tumbling to fifth on the final lap. Later at Road America, a mechanical failure robbed him of the lead with just three laps to go. With Rosenqvist moving to Arrow McLaren, Armstrong steps into the role of Meyer Shank Racing's lead driver. He must improve upon his 14th-place points finish, which was heavily impacted by a brutal mid-season slump featuring an average finish of 19.7 over seven races due to mechanical issues.
Mick Schumacher steps in to replace Armstrong in the No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda, stepping up for his second NTT IndyCar Series season. Schumacher has plenty of ground to cover after finishing 23rd in the standings during his rookie campaign with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
