INDYCAR Firestone St. Petersburg Grand Prix 2025 Preview

The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will mark the start of the 2025 season for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone. The event will take place from Friday, February 28, to Sunday, March 2, on a temporary 1.8-mile, 14-turn street circuit in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, including a section of Albert Whitted Airport. This race has been a staple on the calendar since 2003, except for 2004.

Race Format and Regulations

• NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 100 laps, 180 miles.
• INDY NXT by Firestone: 45 laps, 81 miles, 55 minutes.
• Push to Pass: 150 seconds of total use per driver, with a maximum of 15 seconds per activation.
• Hybrid Energy (INDYCAR): Unlimited activation with a maximum deployment of 310 kilojoules per lap.

Firestone Tires

• INDYCAR: Five primary sets and five alternate sets, with an extra allocation for teams with rookie drivers.
• INDY NXT: Three new sets per team, with one designated for qualifying and another for the race.

Winners and Records in St. Petersburg

• INDYCAR 2024 Winner: Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren Chevrolet).
• INDY NXT 2024 Winner: Nolan Siegel (HMD Motorsports).
• NTT P1 Award 2024: Josef Newgarden, 59.5714 seconds, 108.777 mph.
• INDY NXT Pole 2024: Nolan Siegel, 1:04.5759, 100.347 mph.
• INDYCAR Qualifying Record: Will Power, 59.3466 seconds, 109.189 mph (2022).
• INDY NXT Qualifying Record: Nolan Siegel, 1:04.5759, 100.347 mph (2024).

Event Broadcast

The event will be covered on FOX Sports through FS1, FS2, and FOX for practice, qualifying, and the race. On radio, coverage will be provided by the INDYCAR Radio Network with Mark Jaynes and Davey Hamilton, available on SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com, and the INDYCAR powered by NTT DATA app.

Key Points for the 2025 Edition

• Alex Palou aims for history: The Spanish driver will attempt to become the first to win three consecutive championships since Dario Franchitti (2009-2011).
• Scott Dixon and the St. Petersburg challenge: Despite six titles and 58 career wins, he has never won at this track, finishing second four times.
• Will Power’s qualifying dominance: He has secured 70 career poles, including nine in St. Petersburg over the past 15 years.

Statistics and Background

• 22nd edition of the race in INDYCAR.
• Drivers entered with previous St. Petersburg wins: Will Power, Josef Newgarden, Graham Rahal, Colton Herta, Scott McLaughlin, Marcus Ericsson, and Pato O’Ward.
• Team Penske has won 11 times at this track, including seven of the last 13 editions.
• Scott Dixon will compete in his 403rd career race, the second-highest total in history.
• Colton Herta will make his 100th INDYCAR start.
• Series rookies: Jacob Abel, Louis Foster, and Robert Shwartzman.

INDY NXT by Firestone 2025

• Season opener: St. Petersburg hosts the championship opener for the 13th time.
• Local driver on track: Nikita Johnson, from St. Petersburg, will debut with HMD Motorsports.
• International presence: 10 countries represented on the grid.
• Chip Ganassi Racing returns to INDY NXT after an 18-year absence.
• Relevant history: Since 2005, six series champions have won at St. Petersburg, including Kyle Kirkwood in 2021.