The Swedish driver Marcus Ericsson, at 35 years old, begins his eighth season in IndyCar with a strong desire to reclaim his competitive level. After a challenging 2025 season, Ericsson enters a contract year with Andretti Global and seeks to demonstrate his potential.
Despite the intense competition, Ericsson recalls that his last victory in IndyCar came at St. Petersburg and that 2023 was a year of successful racing. He finished sixth in the championship, but since moving to Andretti in 2024, he has only achieved a second place in Detroit and ten top results in 34 races.
“I feel like I carry a weight on my shoulders this year. The first season with Andretti was promising, but we didn’t manage to finish many races, losing valuable points. The speed was there, so it was a good start,” asserts Ericsson, who has won four races in his career, including the famous Indianapolis 500 in 2022.
Last season, things did not go as he expected. Losing the lead at Indianapolis with 13 laps to go was a disappointment, and his second place was disqualified due to a technical violation after the race. “Honestly, last year should have been better. It was disappointing,” he acknowledges.
With a new race engineer, Ron Barhorst, by his side and changes in the team, Eriksson is optimistic. After testing in Sebring and Phoenix, he claims to have made progress in adjusting the car. “We’ve worked hard to make the car more suited to me. These improvements have me excited for the upcoming season,” he comments.
With the competition getting tougher, Ericsson is looking for the extra edge that will take him back into the podium fight. “The key is not to lose focus. In IndyCar, even a small mistake can drop you to the bottom of the standings. We’ve been working hard in the meantime to come back stronger,” he concludes.
The season will kick off with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, a circuit where Ericsson hopes to re-emerge as a serious competitor and regain his winning form.
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