Linus Lundqvist, who caused raised eyebrows in his first IndyCar outings, will drive for Ganassi from 2024 as Marcus Ericsson’s successor
The top IndyCar team Chip Ganassi Racing has secured the services of Linus Lundqvist. The 24-year-old Swede will succeed his compatriot Marcus Ericsson, starting with the 2024 season. Lundqvist has signed a multi-year contract with the 14-time IndyCar championship-winning team.
The 2024 IndyCar season will be Lundqvist’s rookie season after he impressed right away in three races this 2023 season as a replacement for Simon Pagenaud at Meyer Shank Racing.
Last year’s Indy Lights champion set the fastest race lap directly in his IndyCar debut (Nashville) and also in his first IndyCar oval race (St. Louis). Based on the race results achieved (P25, P12, P18), he is even beaten below value.
At Ganassi, however, Lundqvist’s potential immediately caught their attention. While Marcus Ericsson will switch from Ganassi to Andretti for the 2024 IndyCar season, Lundqvist will take over his cockpit in the Chip Ganassi team.
“The move to Chip Ganassi Racing is an absolute dream come true for me,” says Lundqvist and assures: “I will do everything in my power to seize this opportunity. I’m looking forward to all the moments ahead, both next year and beyond.”
“To move up to the IndyCar Series and do it with one of the most successful teams in the history of the racing series is the moment I’ve been working towards my whole career,” admits the 24-year-old from Stockholm.
“It’s hard to explain how much this means to me. I say a big thank you to Chip, to Mike and to everyone who has supported me along the way, including my family of course,” said Lundqvist.
Besides Lundqvist, only Scott Dixon is under contract with Ganassi for the 2024 IndyCar season. However, it can be assumed that Alex Palou will also remain with the team after he opted out of his McLaren contract, which is actually valid for 2024.
It is not yet clear whether the Ganassi team will again field four cars on a full-time basis next season. Should that be the case, this year’s rookie Marcus Armstrong, who currently shares the car with Takuma Sato, is the top candidate.
