Does Carlos Munoz Have A Future With Andretti Autosport?

Will Carlos Munoz return to Andretti Autosport in 2017? Questions continue about the Colombian’s IndyCar future – and what that means for his team.

The biggest name in IndyCar‘s developing free agency conversation could be Andretti Autosport’s Carlos Munoz.

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Munoz’s contract as the driver of the No. 26 Andretti Autosport Honda expires after the 2016 season, meaning the Sep. 28 GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma could be his final race. But what comes after will not only have a major impact on the 24-year-old Colombian, but also Andretti and the entire free agent market.

A Racer report Tuesday quoted team owner Michael Andretti as saying there’s a “good possibility” Munoz returns to the No. 26 for 2017, but that finances remain the issue. Andretti hopes to know about Munoz’s fate by the end of September.

On his own merits, Munoz has put together another solid season in his third full campaign in IndyCar. He captured his first career pole position in the 2016 Firestone 600 at Texas and almost won the 2016 Indianapolis 500. If he remains eighth in points after Sonoma, he’ll tie his career best championship finish as well.

But IndyCar fans know that how well you drive on track sometimes doesn’t matter if there isn’t money, and Munoz stated back in July that finding sponsorship is difficult in his native country.

Fellow Colombian Gabby Chaves, who was the 2015 IndyCar Rookie of the Year, found himself out of a race seat at Bryan Herta Autosport this season over funding. Chaves was able to get back into IndyCar with Dale Coyne Racing, but only for select races.

Munoz has certainly driven well enough to deserve a full-time ride but if more sponsor money doesn’t materialize he could be out regardless.

Whether Munoz does or does not go will also have a ripple effect on an IndyCar free agent market that may see many of the series regulars on the move.

Josef Newgarden is just a year older than Munoz and has three race victories over the last two seasons. Newgarden’s contract also expires at the end of the 2016 season and Andretti is also rumored to be interested in signing him. But given that Andretti is having budget concerns over running a four-car team, they’re obviously not going to field a fifth entry for Newgarden, which would mean someone would have to leave to make space.

The team would be ill-advised to part with 2012 IndyCar champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay, and the only reason Andretti-Herta were able to run Alexander Rossi‘s car this season was because Rossi brought funding that Chaves didn’t. Andretti likewise wants to retain the reigning Indy 500 champ, but should they not they’d have to find someone with equal finances to keep sustaining the No. 98.

And Andretti just signed a co-primary sponsorship agreement for Marco Andretti’s No. 27 car last month.

So if the team wants to make room for Newgarden, Munoz may be the odd man out. And even if the Tennessee native doesn’t come to Andretti Autosport don’t rule out the possibility of their just wanting to shake up their driver roster.

Andretti has fought hard to keep up with its Big Three rivals Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing over the last two seasons, and they have just one race win, one pole position and six podium finishes in 2016.

Their highest-ranking driver in the championship? Carlos Munoz.

Where do you think Carlos Munoz will be driving in 2017?