’22 500 champ Ericsson leaving CGR for Andretti

Former Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson is leaving Chip Ganassi Racing to join Andretti Autosport in 2024, the team announced Wednesday.

Ericsson, who won four races over four seasons with CGR, including the 2022 Indy 500, will join an Andretti lineup with returning drivers Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood.

Wednesday’s announcement did not address the future of former Formula One driver Romain Grosjean, who is in the final year of his contract at Andretti.

“I’m very happy and proud to be joining Andretti Autosport next season,” Ericsson said in a statement. “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 [Andretti] and Dan [Towriss] for putting their trust in me, and I can’t wait to get to know everyone in the organization.”

Ericsson’s future at Ganassi had been uncertain throughout the 2023 season. At issue was that Ericsson’s seat at Ganassi is funded by a sponsor he brought to the team along with support from Swedish billionaire Finn Rausing, who has long backed Ericsson’s career. Essentially, Ericsson was paying to drive the No. 8 car, a situation he wanted to change.

Ganassi had held exclusive negotiating rights with Ericsson until August, although other teams made their interest clear. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown had indicated in May that his team could pursue the driver.

Ericsson will finish the 2023 season with Ganassi, with the team wishing him “all the best in his future endeavors” in a statement on social media.

Michael Andretti praised Ericsson as a series front-runner whose career the team had monitored.

“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,” Andretti said in a statement. “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 nearly made it back-to-back Indianapolis 500 wins this year, finishing second in the May race to Josef Newgarden.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.