Following the announcement of Caio Collet’s signing with AJ Foyt Racing, team owner Larry Foyt and teammate Santino Ferrucci have spoken publicly about the decision to bring the Brazilian driver into the series and the expectations for the 2026 IndyCar season.
The 23-year-old’s journey to IndyCar has been built on consistent success across multiple racing disciplines. Collet began his career in the European feeder series, claiming the French Formula 4 championship before progressing through the Formula Renault Eurocup, Toyota Racing Series, and FIA Formula 3. His performances caught the attention of Nissan’s Formula E team, where he worked as a reserve and simulator driver in 2024.
In his first season with Indy NXT in 2024, Collet earned Rookie of the Year honours, finishing third in the championship with one victory, six podiums, and one pole position. His consistent development and improvement throughout two seasons in the IndyCar feeder series ultimately earned him this opportunity with AJ Foyt Racing.
Early October 2025 marked Collet’s first test in an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The Brazilian completed 95 laps during the session and finished second overall, just behind Felipe Nasr—a far more experienced Team Penske IMSA sports car driver.
The decision-making process
During a recent media session attended by Pit Debrief, AJ Foyt Racing owner Larry Foyt explained the reasoning behind promoting Collet to the full-time seat previously occupied by David Malukas, who has moved to Team Penske.
“We were impressed with what he did in INDY NXT with HMD. Finished second in the championship. I think he won three races. It was great that we had a great year as a team,” Foyt said. “There was a lot of interest from a bunch of drivers. Getting to meet Caio, also met the sponsor Combitrans, we started talking about things. We did a rookie test with him, he was really impressive. That really made us decide that was the way we wanted to go there. So we put it together after that.”
A strong partnership ahead
Santino Ferrucci, who will continue with AJ Foyt Racing for the 2026 IndyCar season, expressed enthusiasm about working with Collet. The two drivers have already begun building rapport ahead of the upcoming campaign.
“I’m actually really looking forward to working with Caio,” Ferrucci said. “I got to spend some time with him this last week at Nashville. He’s honestly probably among the easier drivers I’ve worked with in the last couple of years. Looking forward to that.”
Ferrucci praised Collet’s approach to development and his receptiveness to feedback. “I like the driving style. He’s very open-minded like myself when it comes to the race car, which I found quite unique and really easy. So just a couple of debriefing things with him. Him actually being receptive to some of my feedback immediately was kind of cool. I think we’ll be able to do and accomplish great things.”
