Every car manufacturer enters racing season with three primary goals: winning the manufacturers' championship, the Indianapolis 500, and seeing their driver claim the championship title.

In 2024, Honda Racing Corporation US (HRC) achieved one goal when Alex Palou won his third IndyCar Series championship with Chip Ganassi Racing. However, Chevrolet claimed both the Indianapolis 500 through Josef Newgarden and the manufacturers' title with 10 wins from 17 races.

HRC president David Salters describes their 2025 strategy as a "fightback." The company analyzes competitor performance through IndyCar's telemetry feed, which provides data on car speed, engine RPM, and other metrics. This analysis helps identify areas for improvement in power, torque, fuel efficiency, and reliability.

Honda demonstrated strength on street courses in 2024, winning three out of four races. However, Chevrolet dominated at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, securing both front-row qualifying positions and a 1-2 finish in the race.

The main challenge for both manufacturers lies in the age of IndyCar's engine formula. After 13 seasons with the same 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 motors, finding performance gains becomes increasingly difficult. Despite this, Salters emphasizes that past achievements don't matter - each new season represents a fresh start and opportunity for improvement.

Honda's focus remains on holding the drivers' championship while working to reclaim the manufacturers' title and Indianapolis 500 victory from Chevrolet in 2025. The company continues its development process through detailed data analysis and strategic resource allocation to maximize performance gains.

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