Written by Dan Jones, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Andretti Autosport have announced the signing of current Chip Ganassi Racing driver, and 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner, Marcus Ericsson onto the team’s driver roster in 2024. Ericsson’s move to Andretti Autosport was one of the key dominoes waiting to fall in the 2024 IndyCar driver market, with the move likely to kick-start a chain reaction through the coming weeks and months.
So why exactly has Ericsson left the powerhouses of Chip Ganassi Racing? Ericsson has made it abundantly clear, as he wants to be a driver paid for his services, than one who has to secure funding for his seat. When one of Ericsson’s main backers dropped the Swede from their rostrum, Ericsson wouldn’t have the funding to continue either.
It was rumoured that Ganassi had offered Ericsson a contract in early August, but that was after his period of exclusivity ended, when he had already signed a 2024 deal for Andretti. Ericsson will be joining Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood in the team, as he replaces Romain Grosjean in the #28 car. Although not officially announced, Devlin DeFrancesco will be departing the #29 car, with the replacement driver the biggest unknown in the current driver market.
Andretti Autosport is a promising prospect, Kirkwood took victories in Long Beach and Nashville, with Herta still one of the rising stars in IndyCar. Ericsson’s consistency will be a valuable asset to Andretti, in a team lacking this consistency in recent years, particularly Romain Grosjean, as proved by his three top ten finishes in the entirety of the 2023 season. For reference, Ericsson’s only two finishes outside the top ten were in Mid-Ohio, where he collided with Felix Rosenqvist, and Toronto, where he had to pit on the last lap, after running out of fuel.
Ericsson will wave goodbye to Chip Ganassi Racing, as he is replaced by fellow Swede Linus Lundqvist, who starred in his one-off appearances for Meyer Shank. Ericsson will look back at his time at Ganassi with four victories, most famously his victory in the 2022 Indianapolis 500, which saw him hold off Pato O’Ward on the final lap.
Ericsson was linked with almost every team in the IndyCar field, including Arrow McLaren, Meyer Shank Racing, and Rahal Letterman Lanigan, but his move to Andretti is the most logical for both driver and team, and will continue the rolling ball, that is the crazy 2023 IndyCar silly season.
Ericsson expressed his delight ahead of joining one of the biggest names in the series; saying: "I’m very happy and proud to be joining Andretti Autosport next season. Andretti is one of the most legendary names in motorsports, so it is definitely a dream come true for me to join this team. I want to thank Michael and Dan [Towriss] for putting their trust in me and I can’t wait to get to know everyone in the organization. It’s a very exciting new chapter in my career and I’m really looking forward to getting to work achieving our goals together. Exciting times are ahead and I’m thankful for this opportunity."
Michael Andretti, Chairman and CEO of Andretti Autosport, expressed a warm welcome to Ericsson: "Like everyone else, we have paid close attention to Marcus’ success in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and have been impressed with how quickly he proved that he belonged with the frontrunners in what is arguably the most competitive INDYCAR field ever. It’s no secret that we want to win races and Championships and to do that we need drivers like Marcus who have that natural talent and determined drive. We are excited for the winning mindset that Marcus brings to the table and I’m eager to see what next season has in store for us."