PREMA Racing ready for Florida NTT INDYCAR SERIES opener
PREMA Racing will make its NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut this Sunday, March 2, at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, marking a historic moment for the team. Callum Ilott and Robert Shwartzman will pilot the Chevrolet-powered Dallara cars which have been the culmination of many months of hard work and effort from a team comprising members from around the globe.
The regular season-opener for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, this tricky course incorporates traditional street circuit elements and a long airport runway with a mixture of asphalt and concrete surfaces, providing a demanding prospect for the first race of the year.
Races at St. Petersburg and at street circuits can feature many caution periods, making strategy a particular challenge to manage. How the race develops between the softer compound primary tires and the harder compound aternates can be one of the other key factors in the outcome of the race.
While qualifying well can prove to be beneficial to staying out of trouble in the race, this race was won from last on the grid in the past. This highlights how quickly the strategy can influence the race and its unpredictability. St. Petersburg has delivered several other shock results through the years, including first wins for a handful of drivers.
Ilott returns to the venue where he recorded his first top 5 finish in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, while Shwartzman prepares to make his series debut. Both drivers will make their race return with the PREMA family after being part of the team earlier in their careers.
Piers Phillips - CEO, PREMA Racing INDYCAR
"There has been a long build up for everyone involved at PREMA Racing with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES project, and it is going to be a great moment for the team to have the cars hit the track competitively for the first time. We approach our first weekend on a street circuit looking to learn as much as possible and to gather as much information as we can to help set us up for the rest of the season ahead."