Linus Lundqvist at last got his full-time IndyCar ride when Chip Ganassi Racing on Thursday announced it had signed the Swedish driver to a multiyear contract.
The 24-year-old Lundqvist won the Indy Lights championship in 2022 — a title that came with a scholarship intended for the winner to use on an IndyCar promotion. But it never came together for Lundqvist, and the seat at Dale Coyne Racing that most expected him to get instead went to Sting Ray Robb.
“Joining Chip Ganassi Racing is an absolute dream come true for me,” said Lundqvist, who called it “the moment I’ve been working for throughout my career. It is hard to explain how much this means to me.”
Chip Ganassi Racing managing director Mike Hull called Lundqvist “a proven winner.”
“He has shown that his on-track performance creates the race-craft separation that’s required in Indycar today. Growing together with Linus is what comes next,” Hull said.
Lundqvist has driven three IndyCar races this season as the injury replacement for Simon Pagenaud.
“I have dipped my toes into IndyCar racing in recent weeks, which will give me a little bit of a head start going into 2024,” Lundqvist said. “This is an entirely new challenge as I prepare to join an established top team at the highest level of the sport. I know there is a lot of hard work ahead, but having a team like Chip Ganassi Racing put their trust in me is the greatest motivator I could ever have. I intend to do everything in my power to grab this opportunity and I look forward to all the moments ahead, next year and beyond.”
Ganassi has not confirmed his 2024 lineup yet, but 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson has already said he’s leaving for Andretti Autosport.