Between the 2018 and 2019 IndyCar seasons, there are set to be multiple changes to the driver lineup. Here are the confirmed and unconfirmed changes up to this point.
Many of the drivers who competed full-time in the 2018 IndyCar season are set to continue competing full-time in the 2019 season, and a majority of them are set to drive for the same teams in the 2019 season for which they drove in the 2018 season.
However, the driver lineup has still changed quite a bit from the 2018 season to the 2019 season. The changes that have been made to the driver lineup involve drivers who competed in the series last season on a full-time basis, drivers who competed in the series last season on a part-time basis, drivers who competed in the series last season on a one-off basis and drivers who have never competed in the series before.
Here is a list of the confirmed drivers who are set to drive for teams in the 2019 season for which they did not drive in the 2018 season.
NOTE: This list is in alphabetical order.
Marcus Ericsson
- Team in 2018: Did not compete in IndyCar
- Team in 2019: Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
- Car in 2019: #7 Honda
- Replacing: Robert Wickens (#6 Honda)
Santino Ferrucci
- Team in 2018: Did not compete full-time in IndyCar (Dale Coyne Racing for four races)
- Team in 2019: Dale Coyne Racing
- Car in 2019: #19 Honda
- Replacing: Zachary Claman DeMelo and Pietro Fittipaldi
Colton Herta
- Team in 2018: Did not compete full-time in IndyCar (Harding Racing for one race)
- Team in 2019: Harding Steinbrenner Racing
- Car in 2019: #8 Honda
- Replacing: N/A (Harding Steinbrenner Racing added third car)
Ed Jones
- Team in 2018: Chip Ganassi Racing
- Car in 2018: #10 Honda
- Team in 2019: Ed Carpenter Racing Scuderia Corsa (full-time road and street course driver)
- Car in 2019: #20 Chevrolet (#64 Chevrolet for Indianapolis 500)
- Replacing: Jordan King
- Being replaced by: Felix Rosenqvist
Patricio O’Ward
- Team in 2018: Did not compete full-time in IndyCar (Harding Racing for one race)
- Team in 2019: Harding Steinbrenner Racing
- Car in 2019: #88 Honda
- Replacing: Gabby Chaves
Felix Rosenqvist
- Team in 2018: Did not compete in IndyCar
- Team in 2019: Chip Ganassi Racing
- Car in 2019: #10 Honda
- Replacing: Ed Jones
Here is a list of full-time entries that do not yet have confirmed drivers for the 2019 season.
#23 Carlin Chevrolet
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- Driver in 2018: Charlie Kimball
- Likely driver in 2019 (if applicable): Charlie Kimball (no change)
#TBD Carlin Chevrolet*
- Driver in 2018: N/A
- Likely driver in 2019 (if applicable): N/A
*=Carlin have not confirmed whether or not they will enter a third full-time entry in the 2019 season, but it is still a possibility.
Here is a list of the drivers who are set to be replaced by other drivers for the 2019 season but have not yet landed and/or will not land rides for next year.
NOTE: This list is in alphabetical order.
Gabby Chaves
- Team in 2018: Harding Racing
- Car in 2018: #88 Chevrolet
- Replaced by: Colton Herta (#88 Honda)
- Future racing plans: Unknown
Zachary Claman DeMelo
- Team in 2018: Dale Coyne Racing
- Car in 2018: #19 Honda (part-time)
- Replaced by: Santino Ferrucci
- Future racing plans: 2019 Indy Lights season with Belardi Auto Racing
Pietro Fittipaldi
- Team in 2018: Dale Coyne Racing
- Car in 2018: #19 Honda (part-time)
- Replaced by: Santino Ferrucci
- Future racing plans: 2019 Haas Formula 1 team test driver
Charlie Kimball
- Team in 2018: Carlin
- Car in 2018: #23 Chevrolet
- Replaced by: TBD*
- Future racing plans: Unknown
Jordan King
- Team in 2018: Ed Carpenter Racing
- Car in 2018: #20 Chevrolet (full-time road and street course driver)
- Replaced by: Ed Jones (Ed Carpenter Racing Scuderia Corsa)
- Future racing plans: 2019 Indianapolis 500 with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Robert Wickens
- Team in 2018: Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
- Car in 2018: #6 Honda
- Replaced by: Marcus Ericsson (#7 Honda)
- Future racing plans: Recover from injuries suffered in wreck during Pocono Raceway IndyCar race in August of 2018
*=Charlie Kimball still might end up driving the #23 Carlin Chevrolet in the 2019 season like he did in the 2018 season. At this point, he is the favorite to land the ride.
On a side note…
Juncos Racing plan to enter two IndyCars in the 2019 season, but it is not yet known if these cars will compete on a full-time basis. It is also not yet known who the team’s drivers will be and if they will hire a full-time driver or full-time drivers.
Which drivers will have the most success driving for different teams in the 2019 IndyCar season? Where will these drivers end up finishing in the championship standings? Which drivers who have not yet landed rides for the 2019 season will end up landing the open rides?
The 17-race 2019 season is scheduled to get underway in slightly over two and a half months with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 10, 2019 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.