Hi friends,
This week we’re taking a little look at the world outside Formula 1, and going across the pond. Well, partially anyway.
Top Story of the Week: PREMA Could Be Headed for Sale
I realise that the “could” in the headline is doing some heavy lifting here, but it does appear that the team will either have to find some major investment or risk closing some, if not all, of their operations in the near future.
The IndyCar paddock has been talking for weeks about how PREMA’s North American operation, and potentially wider operations under the PREMA name, could be on the block. While that hasn’t yet been officially confirmed, what we do know is that PREMA’s Swiss-based parent company, DC Racing Solutions, led by Deborah Mayer, is seeking capital for 2026, and that Mayer has put her spectacular single-owner collection of 40+ hypercars and competition race cars on auction. The auction will take place in Zürich on October 11th, and the timing of it has poured even more fuel on the speculative fire.
What We Know vs What Is Rumoured
What we know is this:
The search for funding is real. In late August RACER reported that “Italy’s PREMA Racing […] is seeking a new source of funding to continue the program in 2026.” PREMA declined to comment at the time.
The ‘for sale’ chatter in the paddocks is persistent. In a recent Mailbag column, RACER addressed the uncertainty around the team’s 2026 plans and the cost of entering IndyCar without a charter. A status that leaves PREMA outside the membership program the other full-time teams joined in 2024.
Mayer’s auction is official. RM Sotheby’s calls it “The Tailored for Speed Collection“, a single-owner sale at the Dolder Grand Hotel featuring a Ferrari 333 SP, Pagani Huayra Roadster BC, Bugatti Chiron, as well as the Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo that won the 24 Hours of Spa in 2021, and the Ferrari 488 GTE Evo that won the European Le Mans Series in that same year – as well a slew of other exotic cars.
What we don’t know is if the team is actually up for sale. But I suspect this is only because the team won’t comment publicly on the situation.
Why This Matters Beyond IndyCar
DC Racing Solutions is the Swiss holding company that sits on a multi-series racing portfolio. Under DCRS, PREMA, Iron Lynx and Iron Dames operate as sister-outfits. Iron Lynx once ran Lamborghini’s SC63 LMDh program in WEC and IMSA with collaboration from PREMA, but that partnership soured and is now the subject of a number of lawsuits between Iron Lynx, PREMA and Lamborghini.
PREMA also runs cars in Formula 2, Formula 3, F1 Academy, Formula Regional and Formula 4, powering drivers such as Gabriele Minì and Doriane Pin in their junior racing efforts.
Any ownership change or cashflow squeeze at the group level would cascade across all these programs, and we’ve already seen ripples. Within the Iron Dames team, Doriane Pin was unable to finish the FRECA season, Alexandra Vateva was unable to finish the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux season, and the team itself skipped the Daytona IMSA race altogether.
The Buyer Puzzle – and the IndyCar Charter Wrinkle
IndyCar launched it’s charter program in 2024 with the then 10 incumbent teams. PREMA entered the series in 2025, meaning it operates outside the charter benefits enjoyed by its rivals. A structural disadvantage when you’re self-funding a first-year expansion. If a sale or investment does happen, one pragmatic route would be a buyer who already holds a charter, or a deal that pairs a change of control with acquiring one.
But the crux of the issue is, that being outside the charter system puts additional risk on the investors, should they choose to buy the team.
What Happens Next
There are a couple of possible scenarios: New equity partners, an outright sale of the US operations or the group as a whole, or bridging the financial gap they’re currently experiencing to keep the current structure intact. Given PREMA’s footprint across so many different series, a partial transaction (e.g. selling off only some of the assets) could be the cleanest short-term fix, allowing them to continue operating in 2026, while trying to ensure funding.
But this could have some knock-on effects. Any uncertainty tends to spur staff and driver market movements, and could leave the team struggling further as we head into the coming years.
There have also been rumours that Cadillac was looking to invest in their Formula 2 and Formula 3 operations as a way to secure their Formula 1 junior efforts, but I’ve not been able to confirm any of these though, and we’re unlikely to learn much more until the DCRS funding situation is resolved.
The Rest of the Stories This Week:
- McLaren has ended its contract with Alex Dunne
- Dunne is close to a deal with Red Bull
- Christian Horner approached Haas about a role with the team
- The FIA has increased the Singapore GP pit lane speed limit
- The McLaren lawsuit against Alex Palou went to trial
- Roscoe Hamilton passed away
- Mick Schumacher will test with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in IndyCar
- Marc Marquez won the 2025 Moto GP World Championship
- Pietro Fittipaldi, Simon Pagenoud and Charlie Eastwood join Cadillac as a development drivers
- Martinius Stenshorne joins Rodin in Formula 2 for 2026
- Max Verstappen won the 9th round of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie
That’s it for this week, thank you for being here.
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