Despite only having three IndyCar Series starts under his belt, with a best finish of 12th, the 24-year-old Swede will effectively replace fellow countryman Marcus Ericsson in Ganassi’s elite driver line-up, who signed for Andretti Autosport last week.
“Joining Chip Ganassi Racing is an absolute dream come true for me,” said Lundqvist. “Stepping up to race full-time in the IndyCar Series, and to do so with one of the most successful teams in the history of the championship, is the moment I’ve been working for throughout my career.
“It is hard to explain how much this means to me. I am incredibly grateful to Chip, Mike [Hull, CGR’s managing director] and to everyone who has backed me on this journey, including of course my family.”
Lundqvist won the 2022 Indy Lights (now NXT) championship but was unable to find a drive for the 2023 season. He has sat out much of the year, contesting only one race weekend in the Scandinavian Porsche Cup at Skelleftea in his homeland, before being called up three times to sub for the sidelined Simon Pagenaud at Meyer Shank Racing.
He immediately excelled, qualifying 11th on his debut in Nashville before crashing out near the end of the race after an impressive run. He then finished 12th on the Indianapolis Road Course and 18th at St Louis last weekend on his oval debut in the series.
Lundqvist also set the fastest lap at both Nashville and St Louis, demonstrating his speed and versatility.
“It’s terrific that the opportunity to hire Linus, a proven winner, plus the reigning 2022 Indy NXT champion, is now a reality at Chip Ganassi Racing,” said Hull. “He has shown that his on-track performance creates the racecraft separation that’s required in IndyCar today.
“Growing together with Linus is what comes next.”
Lundqvist dominated throughout the 2022 Indy Lights/NXT season, clinching the championship by a margin of 92 points after scoring five wins, nine podiums and seven pole positions. He made his series debut in 2021, where he finished third in the points standings with three wins, 11 podiums and three poles.
“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,” added Lundqvist. “Coming up through Indy NXT has provided me with some important experience that will help me get up to speed.
“Having said that, 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.”
Lundqvist will be embedded with the CGR team – which is now guaranteed to claim its 15th title – for the final two races of the season as he prepares to join full-time next season, alongside current series dominator Alex Palou and its six-time champion Scott Dixon.
Should Ganassi run a fourth car, as it did this season, it is expected to be driven full-time by Marcus Armstrong, who shared it with Takuma Sato this year. Armstrong continues to lead the 2023 rookie standings, despite missing all the oval races.
