Written by Olivia Hicks, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Chip Ganassi Racing announced Linus Lundqvist as a driver for the team next year. The 24-year old Indy NXT driver subbed in for Meyer Shank Racing’s Simon Pagenaud at the Gallagher Grand Prix, and the Big Machine Music City race weekend prior. Lundqvist had a memorable start, securing a 12th-place finish, and the car’s best race result in the 2023 season, in his second-ever IndyCar race in Indianapolis.
The Swedish driver will replace his fellow countryman, Marcus Ericsson, the current Ganassi driver likely to make the switch to Andretti Autosport. The new job comes with high stakes, and Lundqvist will have his work cut out for him as a rookie. His new teammates had quite the record-breaking rookie seasons, with Alex Palou taking a maiden podium during his IndyCar freshman year with Dale Coyne Racing, and Scott Dixon winning the title in his first season with Chip Ganassi Racing.
Lundqvist’s impressive debut is just the latest in a series of standout performances. A former Indy Lights champion, he also adds the 2020 Formula Regional Americas Championship victory, and a nearly 90-percent win rate during the 2020 season to his resume. Lundqvist comes with a varied skill set to put to use across oval and street courses, having driven or tested in Formula E, Euroformula, GP3, and the IMSA SportsCar Championship.
It’s not just race day results that Lundqvist has racked up so far, but his two free practice sessions have ended in P11 and P13. In the series’ hometown at the Gallagher Grand Prix, the new driver qualified just shy of the Firestone Fast 6, and started Saturday’s race in seventh.
“[It’s] terrible. We’re not P1,” Lundqvist joked to NBC Sports after finishing 11th in his first practice competing in the big leagues.
Lundqvist was elated to be joining Chip Ganassi Racing for 2024, in his statement, he said: Joining Chip Ganassi Racing is an absolute dream come true for me. Stepping up to race full time in the NTT IndyCar Series, and to do so with one of the most successful teams in the history of the championship, is the moment I’ve been working for throughout my career.
“It is hard to explain how much this means to me. I am incredibly grateful to Chip, Mike and to everyone who has backed me on this journey, including of course my family"
“It’s terrific that the opportunity to hire Linus, a proven winner, plus the reigning 2022 Indy NXT champion is now a reality at Chip Ganassi Racing,” Chip Ganassi Racing managing director Mike Hull said. “He has shown that his on-track performance creates the racecraft separation that’s required in IndyCar today. Growing together with Linus is what comes next.”
With an attitude that accepts nothing but the best, Lundqvist is sure to stake his claim at Chip Ganassi Racing in the future.