Concerns have been raised for IndyCar as Honda considers leaving after 2026. Honda is tied with NTT IndyCar Series by the engine supply contract. However, the American wing of the Japanese automobile company has revealed that the hike in costs has raised doubts on its partnership beyond 2026.
Increasing costs are a huge concern
The rising annual expenses to supply more than half of IndyCar’s full-time field of 27 cars with purebred 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 engines, and support 16-18 entries each May for the Indianapolis 500, has led to Honda having doubts about a future with IndyCar which it joined back in 1994.
“We have great concerns over the costs,” American Honda Motorsports Manager Chuck Schifsky told RACER. “If we were to choose not to renew, that would be the reason why. And it’s easy to see. We don’t have a third manufacturer, and there’s a reason for that: It has to do with the cost. If the return on investment matched up with the investment, we’d have a number of other manufacturers involved.”
“We’re looking for a wholesale change to the engine regulations so that we can eliminate fives and tens of millions of dollars of annual technical costs,” Schifsky said. “Because if we don’t, then it’s too much money, and we will go do something else. That something else could be NASCAR, or a further investment in our Formula 1 effort. Or something that isn’t motorsports at all.”
American Honda and HPD through its luxury and performance brand, Acura, ushered in a new era with its first hybrid racing program, ARX-06 GTP car in 2023. The factory programs in IMSA’s top WeatherTech SportsCar Championship class earned them three victories and made a good impression with the fast and high-tech prototypes.
Schifsky has a firm belief that the auto industry’s reception to a racing series with a higher return on investment is indicated by Acura and more than a dozen major manufacturers’ participation in IMSA.
Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles acknowledged Honda’s concerns and reiterated Schifsky’s beliefs regarding the need for a third manufacturer. Miles opined that the series requires to have its new era of hybrid racing underway ahead of inking a deal with another original equipment manufacturer. This leaves IndyCar with a small window to sign another OEM before Honda’s supply contract runs out.
Future remains up in the air for IndyCar
Honda isn’t rushing to commit as IndyCar’s engine suppliers are under contract through the 2026 season. However, they need to act quickly.
“We still have about a year to make a decision on what to do,” Schifsky said. “And it should not be considered by anybody that Honda will automatically stay in just because we’ve been in it for 30 years. Of course, it shouldn’t necessarily be assumed that we’re going to get out. We love this series.”
We will have to wait and see what the future holds for the legendary series.
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