Top young talents Antonelli and Bearman to IndyCar? 'We're looking at it'
F1 News
With only 20 spots in Formula 1, it is difficult - if not impossible - for up-and-coming talent to advance to the highest class of motorsport. Drivers like Felipe Drugovich and Théo Pourchaire are in the waiting room to debut in F1. Teams in Formula 2 and Formula 3 are also seeing increasing numbers of drivers being trained for classes other than Formula 1. Italy's Prema seems to be capitalising on this, possibly starting a team in another interesting category.
Indeed, the website Racer.com has learned that Prema is exploring the possibilities of starting a team in IndyCar. A spokesperson for the team confirmed this news. Prema were already active in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), but in it the LMP2 class is disappearing. It was precisely in this class that Prema drove. IndyCar, as a major championship, could be a nice alternative for the Italian team.
Antonelli in America?
Next season, Prema has two top young talents at their disposal in Formula 2. Oliver Bearman and Andrea Kimi Antonelli are part of the academies of Ferrari and Mercedes, respectively, and are based at Prema. Although both drivers are predicted to have bright futures in Formula 1, there must be opportunities for them. In the unlikely event that there are none, these drivers will eventually look for alternatives.
A longer stay at Prema and starting IndyCar together could be an option in that case. Starting an IndyCar team is relatively easy, so Prema could join the grid of the American class as early as the start of the 2025 season.
Prema is among the most successful training teams in motorsport. Charles Leclerc (2017), Mick Schumacher (2020) and Oscar Piastri (2021), for example, became champions in F2 with the Italians.