Sophia Floersch and HMD Motorsports part ways in IndyNXT

Sophia Floersch's IndyNXT rookie season ended abruptly after just one race, as HMD Motorsports announced their mutual separation due to budgetary reasons.

Photo credits: Penske Entertainment

Sophia Floersch's rookie season in IndyNXT has come to a sudden halt after the season opener in St Petersburg, Florida, as HMD Motorsports announced that has mutually parted ways with the German racer.

"As we move onwards in 2025, HMD Motorsports and Sophia Floersch have mutually agreed to part ways for the remainder of the Indy NXT by Firestone season", a team statement reads.

"HMD Motorsports wishes Sophia the best of luck in her future endeavors."

Floersch had made the transition from FIA Formula 3 to the Road to Indy series at the start of 2025, as she embarked on a new journey after two consecutive seasons in the F1 third-tier feeder series.

After first racing in the FIA F3 championship in 2020 with Campos Racing, Floersch moved to sports cars, competing in LMP2 machinery for the first time, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans where she was in the class top ten on her rookie participation.

She contested the FIA WEC and European Le Mans Series in prototypes, where she scored two podium finishes, becoming the first woman to step on the overall podium in ELMS. In 2021, she also tackled her first GT3 campaign in DTM, before returning to single seaters in 2023, when she joined PHM Racing for her second FIA F3 season. In a year of quick development, despite a team new to the championship, Floersch made history by scoring points, with a seventh place in Spa Francorchamps.

Moving to Van Amersfoort Racing in 2024, the German had a more unfortunate campaign, still marginally missing out on points at Red Bull Ring with a P11. At the end of the season, Floersch ran her first Indy NXT test in October at Barber Motorsports Park, and subsequently signed with HMD Motorsports for her first season in the US.

Pre-season testing turned out to be massively encouraging for Floersch, who frequently displayed pace close to the top-five or six. Coming into the season opener on the St Petersburg street circuit, Sophia enjoyed a very solid round and, despite fighting some technical issues over the weekend, she gained positions in the race to finish 12th, running a clean race.

Expectations were high for the remainder of the season, as her testing pace suggested she had potential to push with consistency within the top ten.

According to Feeder Series, the "decision was made on budgetary grounds".

The separation brings Floersch's 2025 campaign in jeopardy, with the driver yet having to make an official announcement on her next step.