Marcus Ericsson is changing seats at the NTT IndyCar Series table
Ericsson, who won the 2022 Indianapolis 500 and finished runner-up this past May in the 500 for Chip Ganassi Racing, is heading to Andretti Autosport for 2024. There, he will partner with teammates Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood.
Ericsson started his IndyCar career with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in 2019 and has been with Ganassi since 2020. He has four wins in the IndyCar Series, including 2021 triumphs at Belle Isle and Nashville, 2022 at Indianapolis and this year’s season-opening race at St. Petersburg, Florida.
The move suddenly puts current Andretti Autosport and former Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean’s IndyCar future in doubt. Andretti is expected to race a fourth car in 2023 and rumors have David Malukas in line for that seat.
Grosjean, the former Haas F1 Team driver, is in his third year in IndyCar, his second with Andretti and is currently 12th in the NTT IndyCar Series points standings.
Grosjean’s name was absent in the CGR press release welcoming Ericsson and mentioning Herta and Kirkwood. Grosjean is also a factory driver for Lamborghini’s LMDh program on the sport car side, but it is believed he also hopes to race Indy cars in 2024.
“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,” said Andretti Autosport chairman and CEO Michael Andretti. “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.”
Ericsson, a five-year IndyCar veteran, turns 33 on Sept. 2 and becomes the elder statesmen alongside his new teammates.
“I’m very happy and proud to be joining Andretti Autosport next season,” Ericsson said. “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 (Andretti Autosport co-owner) 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.”
Mike Pryson covered auto racing for the Jackson (Mich.) Citizen Patriot and MLive Media Group from 1991 until joining Autoweek in 2011. He won several Michigan Associated Press and national Associated Press Sports Editors awards for auto racing coverage and was named the 2000 Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club’s Michigan Motorsports Writer of the Year. A Michigan native, Mike spent three years after college working in southwest Florida before realizing that the land of Disney and endless summer was no match for the challenge of freezing rain, potholes and long, cold winters in the Motor City.
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