How ex-Red Bull F1 junior Dennis Hauger is carving a new career in America

Former Red Bull Formula 1 reserve Dennis Hauger has revitalised his career after moving to Indy NXT with the fabled Andretti Global team.

In his very first weekend in IndyCar’s premier development series, Hauger took pole position, set the fastest lap and survived four caution periods to become the first driver since Linus Lundqvist in 2021 to win an Indy NXT race on his debut.

The victory shined the spotlight on a driver whose junior career in Europe had promised so much.

Signed by Red Bull for its junior scheme after he became the youngest driver to win the German Karting Championship in 2017, Hauger made an immediate impression on his step-up to single-seaters, winning four races in his maiden British F4 season.

A dual campaign followed in 2019, which saw him lift the drivers’ title in Italian F4 and finish second in the series’ German equivalent.

Two years later, he won the Formula 3 title with Prema on his second attempt, a feat that seemingly put him on the path to F1.

Unfortunately, his results in Formula 2 fell below expectations, and eighth place was the best he could achieve in the standings after three years of trying, wrecking his hopes of moving up to F1.

While there was no shortage of standout results for Hauger in F2, as he scored five races, 13 podiums and two pole positions, he ultimately lacked the consistency needed to mount a title attack. Red Bull also dropped him from its young driver programme at the end of 2023, leaving him on his own for his third season in F2 last year.

But there was always an underlying belief that Hauger was destined for better things, and his winning start to his maiden Indy NXT campaign has once again highlighted his unfulfilled potential.

To put his debut win at St Petersburg into perspective, it’s important to understand just how different the AER-powered Dallara IL-15 is from the Italian company’s F2-spec cars.

The control tyres supplied by Firestone in Indy NXT are also less prone to degradation, giving drivers the freedom to push to the limits for longer periods.

“The F2 car has a bit more horsepower but it is also a lot heavier, which makes the driving style completely different in Indy NXT. So for me, that was the new thing,” Hauger explained to Crash.net.

“The driving techniques and all that kind of stuff, it's a bit different there. And the Firestone tyres are not so sensitive so you can push a lot more through the race, so there is a higher intensity in general.”

“I don't think the [St Pete] track was too bad like in terms of what I'm used to. It could be comparable to Monaco in terms of bumpiness and tightness.

“It is still just a bit different to drive around a street circuit with the Indy NXT car compared to a Formula 2 car.

“Also, a Formula 2 car feels a lot bigger and heavier, while you are just really flirting with the limit with the Indy NXT car because it allows you to be a bit sideways, it allows you to really push the edge and fight the car more, and I found that really cool.”

The sporting regulations in US-based championships such as IndyCar, IMSA and NASCAR are slightly different to what drivers are accustomed to in Europe, which added to Hauger’s learning curve this year.

“Just overall during the weekend, you have a few different sets of rules in terms of procedures from the team but also from the series, like rolling starts,” he explained.

“It's something simple when you look at it, but it's all those small things that you have to practice and really make it automatic in your head.

“So there are a few things I've worked on in the off-season to be mentally prepared for it and it seems to go also for. Definitely, a lot of new stuff, but a lot of fun as well.”

Hauger was quickly up to speed with the Dallara IL-15 during pre-season testing, while learning the 1.8-mile street circuit in St Petersburg also came naturally to the 22-year-old.

That should come as no surprise, given he finished second in the Macau Grand Prix in 2023 after receiving a last-minute call-up to replace Franco Colapinto at MP Motorsport.

Being part of a top-notch team like Andretti, which has powered the likes of Pato O’Ward, Oliver Askew, Kyle Kirkwood and Louis Foster to titles in the last seven years, also raises expectations on Hauger.

The Norwegian driver made it clear that his goal is to win the championship this year and feels his victory at St Pete has already put him on the path to success.

“I will just keep on doing what I do now. I think it's been working well so far,” he said.

“Sometimes we are not gonna be up there straight away and we have things to work on here and there on some tracks.

“Those are the times where we really need to just be consistent and that is going to be the key point for the championship.

“My aim is to win the championship and we have the opportunity, we are leading [the standings]. We have the chance. It's a long season ahead so we need to keep working on what we do now and keep building that.”

While not wishing to close the door on F1, Hauger is now keen on establishing a career in America, having set his eyes on racing in IndyCar.

He wouldn’t be the first driver to join USA's premier single-seater championship after being a part of F1’s junior ladder, with Robert Shwartzman, Callum Ilott, Marcus Armstrong, Santino Ferrucci and Christian Lundgard all having raced in F2 like him.

“To be honest I'm just taking it race by race and focusing on this season, whatever comes, comes,” he said.

“For me, at the moment IndyCar is the main thing, otherwise I wouldn't be in the US.

“And it's great to be a part of a team like Andretti which really teaches me the ways over here as well and gets me up to speed quickly.

“It's been really fun so far learning the tracks and learning the car and the atmosphere and everything. We will see how it goes from there.”

The 2025 Indy NXT season resumes at Barber Motorsport Park on 4 May.

The championship will conclude in Nashville on 31 August.