IndyCar, new Eldorado for F1 driver lacking success
After the successes of Marcus Ericsson and the good performances of Romain Grosjean, Indycar is becoming a serious alternative for Formula 1 drivers. To such an extent that the Alpine Academy had its driver Christian Lundgaard take part in a test, just like Ferrari did with Callum Ilott.
In 2021, 43 drivers took part in at least one race in Indycar. Nine of them have participated in at least one Formula 1 Grand Prix, which is almost 21% of the grid.
Pilots who have attempted the American adventure with varying degrees of success are Marcus Ericsson (2 wins), the phoenix Romain Grosjean, Alexander Rossi (7 wins including 1 Indy 500), Max Chilton, and Takuma Sato (5 wins including 2 Indy 500).
Others like Sébastien Bourdais or Juan Pablo Montoya have had a brilliant career in the United States before coming to discover F1 and returning to the land of Uncle Sam after their time in F1. The Frenchman won 4 titles and the Colombian 1 title and 2 victories at the 500 Miles.
Then, there are luxury freelancers like Kevin Magnussen who, after his career in F1, came to discover endurance but came to replace Felix Rosenqvist. Pietro Fittipaldi continues to be Romain Grosjean’s designated replacement. He replaced him during oval races.
Furthermore, this year, academies of young drivers have sent some of their protégés across the Atlantic to gain experience. The first to try his hand on American tracks is Christian Lundgaard of the Alpine Academy. Struggling with confidence in F2 and largely dominated by his teammate, he came over in the summer to regroup in the United States with a fourth place in qualifying and a twelfth place finish. Ferrari also sent its driver Callum Ilott to test himself in indyCar. The experience was beneficial as he secured a full-time seat for 2022.
Juncos Hollinger Racing announced today Callum Ilott will remain in the No. 77 entry for a full 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season campaign.#JuncosHollingerRacing pic.twitter.com/16Q95ELMbF
— Juncos Hollinger Racing (@juncosracing) September 24, 2021
The IndyCar also attracts drivers such as Fernando Alonso, who is chasing the legendary Triple Crown with the Monaco Grand Prix, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Indianapolis 500 Miles.
My first Indy500 completed! A great experience! ✊️
When we were already at half point of the comeback (P15 mid-race) we had a clutch failure..so every pit stop from there we had a manual start with mechanics pushing old school! Happy anyway! Thanks Indy ❤️ pic.twitter.com/8wmAq2KhEi— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) August 23, 2020
IndyCar is attracting more and more young retirees from Formula 1, but also young drivers whose future in F1 is blocked.
Furthermore, in 2022, Romain Grosjean will step into another dimension by joining the Andretti team with the objective of achieving his first victory and experiencing the Indianapolis 500 Miles race.
Got it @FollowAndretti & @DHL_Motorsports 😉!
I couldn’t be happier and already looking forward to the future! #AllAndretti #DHLTeamGrosjean @DHLUS pic.twitter.com/0ZjE3578A5— Romain Grosjean (@RGrosjean) September 24, 2021
