IndyCar News: Jamie Chadwick pegged for seat in 2025 by Andretti Global COO

Alex Harrington | Jul 11, 2024

Jun 21, 2024; Salinas, California, USA; IndyNXT Series driver Jamie Chadwick during media availabilities at the Grand Prix Of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Rob Edwards, Chief Operating Officer of Andretti Global, shared insightful updates on the trajectories of Indy NXT drivers Jamie Chadwick and Louis Foster, highlighting their potential ascension within the fiercely competitive world of IndyCar racing. Edwards provided a detailed analysis that casts an optimistic future for these young talents, especially highlighting British driver Chadwick's promising path toward an IndyCar seat potentially by 2025.

Both drivers are currently making significant strides under the guidance of Andretti Global, one of the prominent teams in motor racing. Chadwick, a three-time W Series champion, and Foster, the current leader in the Indy NXT standings, have demonstrated remarkable skill and perseverance, attracting attention from top management within the organization. 

Louis Foster has shown exceptional performance this season, leading the championship by 41 points with four wins out of the last six races. According to Edwards, Foster's consistent performances have molded him into a "much more complete driver," making him fully deserving of an IndyCar slot as early as next year.

"I think Louis was torn very much between doing another year of Indy NXT or jumping to IndyCar; trying to find the right opportunity in IndyCar for 2024. Not just because he’s winning a lot of races for us, but I think having worked with him now for the last year-and-a-half, he’s a much more complete driver and a lot better prepared to be successful in IndyCar than he would have been after one year in Indy NXT. For me, he is 100% deserving of getting an opportunity next year.”

Conversely, Jamie Chadwick's journey, while impressive, suggests a slightly more measured approach to her advancement. This season, Chadwick secured a notable victory at Road America, making her the third woman to win in the series and the first since 2010.

“On Jamie, huge progress this year. We have always tried to position that programme as we hired her because we believe in her as a driver. Period. If you look at the gains she made from last year to this year, she’s made fantastic gains.”

Reflecting on her performance at Laguna Seca, Edwards praised Chadwick's ability to advance from a lower starting position to a solid sixth place as equally commendable as her victory at Road America.

“Obviously, the win at Road America got a lot of attention, as it should have, but I looked at her drive Sunday at Laguna Seca and for me that was every bit as strong and mature, worthy of recognition as the win at Road America. To battle up from where she qualified to where she finished, passing cars at a track that is tough to pass, and her decision-making and everything else was really impressive. In her case, there is a lot of momentum there. I’m sure there’ll be a push and opportunities to do IndyCar next year. I also think that if she needed to do Indy NXT again for another year and then find the right opportunity in IndyCar, then I think that would be a good thing as well. We’re hugely invested in her being successful in that arena and I think it has shown over what we’ve been doing over the last year and a half."

He continued:

“We are supportive of whatever her and her group decide to do. But I think that it is important that, whatever she does, if she’s in IndyCar in 2025, then it’s with the right team and the right group that could make sure it’s a success. I would hate to see her in IndyCar in an environment or in a situation where it isn’t set up for her to be successful. She does herself so proud with what she does in and out of the car and she obviously gets a lot of recognition for what she’s doing. Motor racing is a fickle business and it’s all about perception and what have you done recently. It’s very important to Michael [Andreti, Andretti Global CEO], J-F [Thormann, Andretti Global President] and all of us that she keeps moving forward. If that’s in IndyCar in 2025, great, but if it’s in 2026 when there is a better opportunity for her, then that’ll be great as well.”

Andretti Global, currently operating with three cars, does not anticipate expanding soon, suggesting that while they are committed to aiding their drivers in finding opportunities, it may not always be within their own roster. Edwards explained the organization's strategy, indicating their emphasis on ensuring that drivers like Chadwick and Foster have the guidance necessary to find fruitful placements, whether within Andreti or elsewhere.