IndyCar: Ericsson Latest F1 Driver After Alonso Considering American Racing Series

Marcus Ericsson is the latest Formula 1 driver to consider a switch to the American IndyCar Series after losing his F1 seat with the Alfa Romeo Sauber team for the 2019 season. He will still be their reserve driver and team ambassador next season.

The Swede, who has been in the sport for five years, was replaced by Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn signed a two-year deal with the partly Swiss owned team after he was let go by Ferrari earlier this season.

Ericsson is unlikely to get a drive with any other team in F1 for 2019 and naturally he has turned his attention to other motor racing series. He admitted he is keen to continue in single-seater racing as he hopes to return to F1 in the future, which is why IndyCar is his preferred option.

"We're talking to some teams there and I think it is a realistic target,” Ericcson told Autosport talking about his chances of landing an IndyCar seat for 2019. "We're also talking to teams in other categories as well.”

"For me, I want to race in the highest level possible because I see myself coming back to Formula 1 in the future as well. To be able to come back to F1, I want to stay in single-seaters and fast cars. IndyCar is the best series to do that in,” he added.

Ericsson will not have the pick of the teams if he makes the switch as the three leading teams Andretti Autosport, Chip Ganassi Racing and Penske have all confirmed their driver lineup for next season.

According to the Autosport report, the Swedish racer is likely to be looking at Schmidt Peterson Motorsports as potential team for the 2019 season, since he is looking for a racing seat that does not require him to get financial backing.

"I've always looked at it and thought it [IndyCar] to be really cool and the racing over there is amazing," Ericsson said. "It looks so much fun and when you speak to other drivers or people that are over there they seem to love it, they say the racing is great, the atmosphere is great and the series is on the up."

Ericsson is not the first F1 driver to look at making the switch to IndyCar in 2019 as Fernando Alonso, who confirmed he is leaving F1 at the end of the season, is also in the running for a potential move to the American motor racing series.

The Spaniard is wanted by the Andretti Autosport team, but their fractious relationship with Honda, who supply engines to the IndyCar team, is complicating matters.

McLaren are also looking at the possibility of entering IndyCar either on a full time or part-time basis along with Alonso, but still remain non-committal with CEO Zak Brown indicating that a lot of pieces need to fall into place before a decision is made.

Stoffel Vandoorne, who is Alonso’s teammate at McLaren this season, is also without a drive next season and the Woking-based team have spoken about taking him to the IndyCar Series next season, but that will depend on the team’s entry into the sport.