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IndyCar: What still hasn’t been confirmed about 2020 driver lineup?

By Asher Fair

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MAY 26: Tony Kanaan of Brazil, driver of the #14 A.J Foyt Enterprises Honda exits the pits next to Santino Ferrucci of USA during the 103rd Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 26, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MAY 26: Tony Kanaan of Brazil, driver of the #14 A.J Foyt Enterprises Honda exits the pits next to Santino Ferrucci of USA during the 103rd Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 26, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /
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With Charlie Kimball slated to compete full-time for A.J. Foyt Enterprises in the 2020 IndyCar season, what remains unconfirmed about the driver lineup?

A.J. Foyt Enterprises made the first full-time IndyCar driver announcement in over a month on Wednesday when they confirmed previous speculation that Charlie Kimball is slated to drive full-time for the team throughout the 17-race season.

With Kimball officially lined up to complete the entire season behind the wheel of the #4 Chevrolet, what still has not yet been confirmed about the upcoming season’s driver lineup?

In total, there are still four full-time seats up for grabs, but only one of them is currently slated to go to just one full-time driver.

A.J. Foyt Enterprises’ other car, the #14 Chevrolet, still has no confirmed plans, other than the fact that it is set to be in fielded in all 17 events and will likely be driven by multiple drivers throughout the year.

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Tony Kanaan has driven this car since the 2018 season, and he will likely remain behind the wheel in the upcoming season, but in a part-time role, possibly in the five oval races.

Two other names that have been mentioned as potential part-time drivers are former Indy Lights driver Dalton Kellett, who brings funding but not enough for a full-time ride, and Sebastien Bourdais, who unexpectedly lost his full-time ride with Dale Coyne Racing following the 2019 season.

Then there is Carlin, which have two open Chevrolet seats and absolutely nothing confirmed about 2020 driver-wise. Last season, no single driver competed full-time for the team. In total, six drivers competed in at least one race, seven if you include Fernando Alonso’s Carlin-supported effort with McLaren that ultimately resulted in a failure to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.

Finally, the one piece of the puzzle that has basically seemed set for several months now but without official confirmation is Santino Ferrucci at Dale Coyne Racing.

In August, Ferrucci stated that he had a deal in place to return to Dale Coyne Racing for the 2020 season but that he was leaving his other options open. With no other viable options at this point, or really for the last several months, he has been tipped to return to the team, but the official announcement has still not yet been made.

With rookie Alex Palou set to join the team via a partnership with Team Goh and with Vasser-Sullivan, which helped field Bourdais’s entry in the #18 Honda in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, set to remain with Dale Coyne Racing, Palou is likely slated to drive the #19 Honda that Ferrucci drove in his rookie campaign while Ferrucci will likely be on his way to the #18 Honda.

If all goes as planned, this would put the field at 23 full-time cars with 20 full-time drivers, or potentially 21 or 22 depending on Carlin’s situation. There are 19 full-time drivers as things stand right now.

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Who else will compete throughout the 2020 IndyCar season despite having not yet been confirmed as a part of the driver lineup? The season is scheduled to get underway in under two months on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. The season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 15.