A easy resolution to the IndyCar predicament of two ex-F1 racers

Romain Grosjean – a 10-time podium finisher in System 1 – used to be anticipated to excel when he switched to Andretti Autosport final year. He had confirmed enormous promise with minnow crew Dale Coyne Racing after crossing the Atlantic in 2021. But he lies Thirteenth in functions ultimate-searching now, exactly where he ended up in final year’s standings – no longer what he nor crew owner Michael Andretti signed up for.

Also, the truth he scored as many podiums in his maiden season with Coyne (when he wasn’t doing many of the ovals) as he has in one and a half of seasons with the powerhouse of Andretti makes for unhappy discovering out too.

Two poles this year, on the opposite hand, hang confirmed the velocity is there – and wait on-to-wait on runner-up finishes at Long Seaside and Barber looked a surefire sure wager for a contract extension. Since then, there were three crashes and two very messy weekends in Boulevard America and Mid-Ohio, tracks where you’d anticipate him to be running ultimate-searching at the front.

His most modern bustle exit, when the steerage wheel whipped out of his hands over the bumps at Toronto, despatched him into the wall once extra.

“After I was coming round that turn I like minded lost the steerage wheel,” he rued. “It used to be a elaborate handling recovery to hang, and I lost the steerage wheel in an are trying and maneuver it.”

He added: “We’ll like minded hang to scamper forward from here and focal level on the next one” – a comment that you just may maybe also gash and paste on a great deal of his post-bustle feedback this year.

Marcus Ericsson’s venture is vastly varied, even supposing he’s coming off his two worst finishes of the year.

Grosjean’s time at Andretti Autosport hasn’t yielded the hoped-for results

Photograph by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photography

He joined Chip Ganassi Racing in 2020 with backing from Huski Chocolate. That relationship blossomed with victory at the Indianapolis 500 victory final year and is backed up by two consecutive high-six IndyCar Championship finishes, and a close runner-up draw at Indy to Josef Newgarden this season. He also won the 2023 season opener at St Petersburg.

But so-known as ‘pay driver’ Ericsson believes it’s time for him to be provided the extra or less salary that the just a few frontrunners revel in, barely than his nominal payment that is extra than offset by the backing he brings by ability of Swedish billionaire Finn Rausing. Ganassi, even supposing publicly pleasing about Ericsson’s skill, has to hang his numbers add up – and Rausing’s monetary enhance has been a stable asset – so you may maybe also stumble on why he wants that to continue.

“I are seeking to be treated as a high driver attributable to that’s what I am on this series,” talked about Ericsson. “It’s where I wanna be and confidently we’ll salvage to that level with Ganassi. I dispute like I deserve that.”

One gets the feeling that the IndyCar driver merry-scamper-round may maybe additionally beginning to tear wildly subsequent month, as contractual windows beginning up with some hardly-readily available high rides going spare

As we’ve beforehand reported, Ericsson vented to NBC’s Kevin Lee at Boulevard America: “It appears like we’re a pretty a suggestions away. I stumble on issues one formulation. The crew thinks that I have to tranquil pay to be there and I dispute like I have to tranquil receives a commission.

“I am pissed off. There are no longer no longer as much as 15 drivers that hang no longer bring a rate range — and I could maybe are also seeking to contemplate I am a form of with the performance — however the crew thinks otherwise. So as that’s why we’re moderately far aside. I’ve tried to play nice and hang it obvious I are seeking to preserve here. I hang no longer understand and it’s worrying.”

Ganassi’s venture is extra advanced by the prospect of its indispensable particular person Alex Palou switching to Arrow McLaren subsequent year – lured away by the promise of an F1 future – so can it receive the cash for to lose two of its high performers?

The resolution? They merely substitute places. In Ericsson, Andretti Autosport would salvage a confirmed performer with an beautiful Indy 500 checklist, a bustle that Michael Andretti is hellbent on successful again as a crew owner, having never done so as a driver. Assuming he retains DHL, which has been a longtime partner, he can receive the cash for to meet Ericsson’s salary demands.

And final, however no longer least, he’d weaken a rival crew – both from a driver lineup and monetary standpoint. Also, may maybe additionally he no longer be ready to tempt an invested Rausing wait on into the F1 paddock alongside with his new project, if he gets an entry?

Would Andretti be ready to entice Ericsson from Ganassi?

Photograph by: Geoffrey M. Miller / Motorsport Photography

Ganassi would this ability that fact desire a driver with bustle-successful doable and high profile to continue to meet its gorgeous roster of sponsor companions. In Grosjean, it would salvage like minded that. It’s an anomaly that he hasn’t but won an IndyCar bustle but, and tons a crew owner down the years is aware of that when it gets a cozy (and aloof) Grosjean, it gets the absolute top doable out of him.

Inheriting Ericsson’s #8 automobile would imply teaming up alongside with his ace engineer Brad Goldberg, who formed a large brother/handiest friend-type relationship with the Swede. Some other option may maybe be to give Grosjean the championship-successful #10 poke that may maybe surely inspire his mojo, and a substitute is as ultimate as a relaxation.

On that automobile, Barry Wanser is presumably the calmest strategist and crew supervisor within the paddock, and engineer Julian Robertson looks in an effort to magic an A-sport automobile on any (and every) given bustle weekend. Either option would seemingly give Grosjean enormous self perception on ovals, too. 

For sure, this being IndyCar, there’s a probability that both of them may maybe additionally get in Iowa this weekend – and with it being a double-header, both may maybe additionally! One gets the feeling that the IndyCar driver merry-scamper-round may maybe additionally beginning to tear wildly subsequent month, as contractual windows beginning up with some hardly-readily available high rides going spare.

The actual fact is that both of these ex-F1 racers hang to be sitting down someplace that suits them when the song stops…

Grosjean and Ericsson may maybe additionally be key gamers in IndyCar’s silly season merry-scamper-round

Photograph by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Photography