Ricardo Escotto Bio
Ricardo Escotto Lechuga (born 14 December 2004) is a Mexican racing driver who last competed full-time in the 2025 Indy NXT series for Andretti Cape Indy NXT. He is recognized as a young open-wheel talent who has progressed through international Formula 4 events and American junior categories. Standing out as one of the few Mexican drivers in the Indy NXT ladder, Escotto has built his career through stints in Spain, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.
Early Life and Background
Ricardo Escotto was born on 14 December 2004 in Mexico City, Mexico. Growing up in one of the largest motorsport markets in Latin America, he developed an interest in racing during his early years and worked his way into the international junior single-seater scene. His hometown of Mexico City has produced several racing talents, and Escotto joined that lineage by committing to a professional path in motorsport at a young age.
Escotto began competing outside of his home country as a teenager, traveling to Europe to enter Formula 4 programs. The shift to international competition required him to balance education with the demands of a racing calendar that spanned multiple continents. His early exposure to Formula 4 machinery in Europe laid the technical and mental foundation that he would later use in American open-wheel racing.
Path to Open-Wheel Racing
Escotto’s path to higher-level open-wheel competition started with a crowded 2022 season that included entries in three different Formula 4 championships. He joined Cram – Hitech GP for the 2022 Formula 4 UAE Championship, where he had a difficult campaign that ended without points and a 25th-place finish in the standings. The experience, though humbling, provided valuable seat time in a pressurized international environment.
He simultaneously contested the 2022 F4 Spanish Championship with Cram-Pinnacle, where he recorded a best result of ninth at Aragón and ended the year 22nd in the championship. He also made select appearances in the 2022 Italian F4 Championship with Cram Motorsport, adding another European track set to his résumé. After a three-year gap on paper due to the limited 2022 calendar, Escotto redirected his career toward the United States and the Road to Indy ladder, beginning with the 2023 USF Pro 2000 Championship.
Ricardo Escotto Career
Early Career (2022)
Ricardo Escotto’s first full season of single-seater racing came in 2022, when he entered three Formula 4 series across Europe and the Middle East. The Formula 4 UAE Championship served as his opening act, where he finished 25th in the standings with no points scored. The results were modest, but the trip gave him exposure to high-level international teams and race weekends.
His main 2022 program was the F4 Spanish Championship, where he drove for Cram-Pinnacle. Escotto’s best performances were two ninth-place finishes at Aragón, results that placed him 22nd in the final standings. He also made select appearances in the Italian F4 Championship with Cram Motorsport, broadening his experience on circuits such as those on the European junior calendar.
USF Pro 2000 Breakthrough (2023–2024)
For 2023, Escotto made the transition to American junior open-wheel racing, signing with Jay Howard Driver Development for the USF Pro 2000 Championship. The change of scenery produced his first major result, as Escotto captured his maiden victory at Indianapolis, finishing ahead of his teammate Reece Ushijima. He was unable to return to the podium during the rest of the campaign and finished the season ranked 13th in the standings.
Escotto returned to the USF Pro 2000 Championship in 2024, this time with BN Racing. The second season was stronger, and he added two more podiums, one at Road America and one at Toronto. Those results helped him climb to ninth in the final championship standings, establishing him as a consistent front-runner within the series.
Indy NXT Debut and Full-Time Move (2024–2025)
On May 31, 2024, it was announced that Ricardo Escotto would make his Indy NXT debut with Juncos Hollinger Racing, contesting five races during the season. His strongest results with the team were a 13th-place run at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and another 13th at Milwaukee. Although the schedule was limited, the partial campaign positioned him for a step up the following year.
For the 2025 season, Escotto moved up to a full-time Indy NXT seat with Andretti Cape Indy NXT, becoming an Andretti Global affiliated driver. The deal carried a stated aim of keeping him within the organization for a 2026 campaign. However, on July 25, 2025, Andretti Cape announced that it had parted ways with Escotto ahead of the Laguna Seca double-header, ending his time with the team.
Notable Races and Milestones
Escotto’s first win in American open-wheel competition came at Indianapolis in the 2023 USF Pro 2000 Championship, a result that still stands as a defining moment of his early career. His additional podiums at Road America and Toronto in 2024 confirmed his pace on a mix of road courses and street circuits, while his 2024 Indy NXT outings at Laguna Seca and Milwaukee gave him his first laps in the series.
Ricardo Escotto Career Wins
Ricardo Escotto has recorded one verified victory in his open-wheel career, coming in the 2023 USF Pro 2000 Championship at Indianapolis. He has also added two additional podium finishes in USF Pro 2000, both in the 2024 season, and has accumulated starts in Formula 4 and Indy NXT without a confirmed win in those categories. His win total reflects an early-stage résumé that is still being built.
USF Pro 2000 Highlights
Escotto’s most productive stretch has come in the USF Pro 2000 Championship, where he earned his breakthrough victory in 2023 with Jay Howard Driver Development. In 2024, with BN Racing, he added podiums at Road America and Toronto and finished the year ranked ninth overall. Those results mark his strongest verified body of work to date.
Ricardo Escotto Family
Personal Life
Ricardo Escotto, who carries the full name Ricardo Escotto Lechuga, was born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico. Public information about his family and personal life is limited, and he is primarily known through his racing activities and his social media presence under his Instagram handle. Further details about relatives or personal milestones have not been publicly verified.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was designed to be Escotto’s first full Indy NXT campaign, contested with Andretti Cape Indy NXT as an Andretti Global affiliated driver. The program targeted a long-term plan that included staying with the team into 2026. Mid-season updates indicated that the team parted ways with Escotto on July 25, 2025, just before the Laguna Seca double-header, which ended his run with the organization for the year.
Despite the early end to his Andretti Cape tenure, Escotto’s 2025 schedule still represented his most extensive Indy NXT mileage to date. The season allowed him to gain experience on the full Indy NXT calendar rather than the five-race partial schedule he ran in 2024 with Juncos Hollinger Racing. His results from the opening portion of the campaign provided additional data that he can carry into his next racing opportunity.