Lochie Hughes knows what’s expected of him.

After finishing third as a rookie in the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone championship, the Australian enters 2026 carrying momentum and pressure. With last year’s top two finishers – champion Dennis Hauger and runner-up Caio Collet – moving up to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Hughes is the highest-finishing returning driver in the field.

He’s also driving for a team that expects nothing less than a title. Andretti Global has earned seven INDY NXT championships, including two in a row from Louis Foster and Hauger.

Hughes acknowledged Andretti Global expects him to make it a three-peat.

Last season, he scored two wins, two poles, eight podium finishes and nine top-fives in 14 starts, a stellar rookie campaign by any measure. But it wasn’t enough for Hughes.

He expected to fight for a championship as a rookie. He had the speed, but Hauger and Collet were more consistent.

Lochie Hughes

Hughes (photo, above) opened his 2025 rookie campaign with seven podium finishes in the first eight races. That run included a dominant win in May on the IMS road course and another in June on the oval at World Wide Technology Raceway. However, a span of one top-five finish over the next four races cost him a championship opportunity even though he closed the season with finishes of third and fifth, respectively, at Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway.

So, consistency is the theme of his offseason.

Andretti Global has dominated INDY NXT in recent years, winning 21 of the last 33 races. That level of excellence sets a high bar, but Hughes embraces it.

Hughes’ ambition doesn’t stop there. The 23-year-old has made it clear that he doesn’t plan on spending a third season in INDY NXT. His target is simple: win the 2026 championship and graduate to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES alongside Hauger and Collet in 2027.

That goal already feels within reach.

Andretti Global named Hughes as a reserve driver for its INDYCAR SERIES program, a rare honor for a developmental driver and a clear sign of confidence in his future.

Hughes got his first taste of top-tier machinery last Oct. 13 during an INDYCAR SERIES test on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Two weeks later, he was back at the same track, this time behind the wheel of his INDY NXT car.

Switching between the two machines gave him a valuable perspective for what he needs to do in 2026.

“It kind of felt weird jumping back in this car,” Hughes said. “It’s great to be back in these cars, and it really opens my eyes to what the faster car is like.”

The differences between the two -- from the INDY NXT car’s lighter chassis and halo cockpit to INDYCAR’s heavier build and aeroscreen -- only sharpened Hughes’ focus.

“It helps me in the way that I can start training for 2027 now,” Hughes said. “That’s the most important thing in my mind.”