Ericsson itching for second Indy 500 victory: “It means so much to me.”
- James Scott
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Marcus Ericsson has arrived at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway more motivated than ever before as he begins his quest to become a two-time Indy 500 Champion. The 2022 winner finished as runner-up in 2023, and was also second on the road in 2025.
Returning to Indianapolis, Ericsson said that the heartbreaks have “helped me become a better driver.”
“The ones you just miss by the smallest margins, [they are] the ones you really think about more than the one you won. You think about what you could have done differently and how you could have maybe done something different to win it.”
“It really helps you grow as well and the motivation is there every day to try and win another one. I'm here again with a good car and a good package and I'm gonna go out and fight for the win.”
When asked whether already being the 2022 Indy 500 Champion helped soften the blow of the subsequent heartbreaks, Ericsson said: “In some ways it helps a bit that you have one. I think the other two near misses would have been even more painful if I didn't have my face on that Borg-Warner trophy.”
“At the same time, it's the biggest race in the world. It's the one you want to win. And I know how great it is to win this race.”
“It's still very painful.”
“You can see that last year when I was that close to winning, how much it means to me and to everyone. So it's one of those things that you always want to win this race. There's no way around it.”
On track, Andretti Global have looked quick. Ericsson has been fourth and third on the no-tow speed charts at the end of the first two practice sessions, with teammates Kirkwood and Power leading the way on Tuesday.
The three Andretti Global cars also look very comfortable in traffic, making use of the impressive race-trim setups the team have brought to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in recent years.
Ericsson said: “I think we've had two good days. We've focused quite a bit on the qualifying preparations, some race running as well, but I feel like we've made some good steps compared to where we were last year.”
“We believe we've made some really big steps. You don't know really until qualifying where everyone else is so it's a bit hard to say. Are we gonna be right up front, are we gonna be mid-pack, we don't really know.”
“But we feel like we made some really good improvements and the race car feels good, in traffic as well. We always need to find more but we had two good days.”
Ericsson has really embraced what it means to be an Indy 500 champion after winning in 2022. He moved to IndyCar after competing in 97 Formula 1 Grand Prix, but the Swede has absolutely loved his pursuit of success at Indianapolis.
Ericsson said: “The first time I was here in 2019, the whole experience of the month of May sort of blew my mind. I could never imagine how cool it is and how different it is from everything else. It's just so unique.”
“Now I know what to expect every year. It still blows my mind race day when you walk out and there's 300,000 people in here in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But yeah, it's one of those things I always tell people you have to come here and experience it.”
“Even if you're racing fan or not, you have to experience it in my opinion. So it's very cool to be one of those drivers that get to do it. I think that's something that I think about sometimes and just how lucky I am to be able to do that.”
Ericsson took the Borg-Warner trophy to his hometown in Sweden, greeted by thousands lining the streets to catch a glimpse of the champion. After so much heartbreak in recent years, Ericsson is ready to drink the milk in Victory Lane once again.
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