Felipe Nasr has achieved virtually everything there is to accomplish in American sports car racing under the Team Penske banner, yet one ambition continues to drive the Brazilian: earning a full-time seat in the NTT IndyCar Series.
The 33-year-old has become Team Penske’s trusted reserve driver throughout the 2026 campaign, standing ready to replace Josef Newgarden as the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner continues his recovery from the foot injury sustained in his dramatic crash during this year’s Indianapolis 500.
Although Newgarden has remained fit enough to race, Penske has carefully managed his rehabilitation, providing Nasr with valuable opportunities to gain further experience behind the wheel of an Indy car. Most recently, the former Formula 1 driver took part in a multi-team test at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, where he impressed by matching the pace of Team Penske’s established drivers despite having spent months away from the cockpit.
Having already conquered IMSA’s premier GTP category with Porsche Penske Motorsport, Nasr believes every outing in an IndyCar represents another chance to demonstrate that he is ready for motorsport’s next challenge.
Valuable seat time
Nasr’s latest opportunity came during Team Penske’s Mid-Ohio test after Newgarden was withdrawn to focus on his ongoing recovery programme.
Having previously remained on standby during race weekends in Detroit and Road America, Nasr was immediately called upon when the team required a substitute for its No. 2 Chevrolet.
The Brazilian welcomed the chance to add further mileage in an IndyCar.
“That test came along after seeing what the situation was going to be for Josef and what was best for him,” Nasr told Motorsport.com.
“Once they decided he was going to skip the test for recovery reasons, I was the first option.
“I said, ‘That’s great,’ because for me it’s always fantastic whenever I can get more mileage in that car. It’s not something that I drive every day, so every opportunity is valuable.”
Matching Penske’s regulars
The Mid-Ohio outing marked Nasr’s first appearance in an IndyCar since October last year, making the challenge considerably greater than simply learning a circuit.
While his Team Penske colleagues Scott McLaughlin and David Malukas arrived fresh from a competitive race weekend at Road America, Nasr had to quickly reacquaint himself with the characteristics of the Dallara-Chevrolet package.
Despite that disadvantage, his pace proved remarkably competitive.
He finished 11th among the 16 participating drivers, ending the day just 0.0554 seconds behind Malukas and only a little over one-tenth of a second adrift of McLaughlin.
For Nasr, those figures represented a highly encouraging benchmark.
“From my perspective, the test was extremely productive,” he explained.
“Those guys had just come from a race weekend at Road America and then went straight into another test at Mid-Ohio. I hadn’t driven the car since October.
“To have to get used to everything again, all the systems and all the changes, and then be able to match my Penske team-mates tells me it was a very productive day.”
Mid-Ohio test comparison
| Driver | Team | Performance Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Scott McLaughlin | Team Penske | Benchmark pace during the test |
| David Malukas | Team Penske | Finished only 0.0554s ahead of Nasr |
| Felipe Nasr | Team Penske reserve | 11th overall despite first IndyCar outing since October |
A decorated sports car career
Although Nasr continues pursuing an IndyCar opportunity, his achievements in endurance racing have firmly established him among the world’s elite prototype drivers.
Since joining Porsche Penske Motorsport for the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Brazilian has enjoyed extraordinary success aboard the No. 7 Porsche 963.
His accomplishments include multiple victories at North America’s biggest endurance events, highlighted by three consecutive overall triumphs in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and two wins at the prestigious Twelve Hours of Sebring.
The 2024 IMSA GTP championship further cemented his reputation as one of prototype racing’s leading competitors.
Felipe Nasr’s recent achievements
| Achievement | Result |
|---|---|
| IMSA GTP Championship | 2024 Champion |
| Rolex 24 at Daytona | Three consecutive overall victories |
| Twelve Hours of Sebring | Two overall victories |
| Formula 1 career | 39 Grand Prix starts (2015–2016) |
| Current programme | Porsche Penske Motorsport No. 7 Porsche 963 |
Waiting for Penske’s decision
With his endurance racing credentials beyond question and encouraging performances whenever he has tested an IndyCar, speculation continues over whether Team Penske owner Roger Penske could eventually offer Nasr a full-time opportunity in North America’s premier single-seater championship.
The Brazilian, however, was careful not to campaign publicly for a seat.
When asked what more he needed to prove before earning a permanent IndyCar drive, Nasr simply smiled before delivering a characteristically understated response.
“Oh, ask him,” he said.
“You should ask him.”
A future still open
For now, Nasr remains one of Team Penske’s most valuable assets, seamlessly balancing his commitments with Porsche Penske Motorsport while serving as the organisation’s experienced IndyCar reserve.
His performances at Mid-Ohio demonstrated that, despite spending the majority of his time competing in endurance racing, he has lost little of the speed that made him a Formula 1 driver and continues to make him a credible candidate for open-wheel competition.
Whether that opportunity eventually materialises will ultimately rest with Roger Penske. Yet with an IMSA championship, victories at Daytona and Sebring, and encouraging IndyCar testing performances already on his résumé, Nasr has done little to weaken his case. As the Brazilian himself suggested, the next move belongs not to him—but to “The Captain”.