IndyCar: Andretti gives 2021 driver lineup timetable

By Asher Fair | Oct 23, 2020

Andretti Autosport teammates Marco Andretti and Ryan Hunter-Reay, IndyCar - Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Michael Andretti intends to again run five cars in his IndyCar program next year, with official confirmation of the lineup expected to come in November.

Andretti Autosport expanded from four cars to five ahead of the 2020 IndyCar season with the addition of Colton Herta to the #88 Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport Honda.

Herta had competed for Harding Steinbrenner Racing, which had a technical alliance with Andretti Autosport and was already effectively a fifth team car, last year. This year just made that official.

But the shortest offseason the sport has seen in quite some time is almost upon us, and the team have only confirmed two drivers for next year, with those two drivers being Herta and Alexander Rossi, who signed a multi-year contract extension last July to continue driving the #27 Honda. He has been with the team since his rookie year in 2016.

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Team owner Michael Andretti, who does not have any drivers battling for the championship in this Sunday’s season finale on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida for the first time in four years, told Beyond the Flag that the focus has already turned to the 2021 season for the most part.

“I think it was before Mid-Ohio, we had a big team powwow,” he said. “And we got together and said ‘Okay we know we can’t win the championship, but we know that this year has exposed a lot of our weaknesses in the team, and we know what we need to do to try to go fix them.’

“So that’s what we’ve been doing the last couple races, and I think the last three races you can say that we’ve improved a lot. I think at Mid-Ohio having that all Andretti podium on Sunday, and then we had a driver on the podium, I think it was at Colton, on Friday at the [Indianapolis Motor] Speedway [road course], and then we had two of them on the podium, second and third, on the Saturday race, the second race.

“So I think we’ve gotten ourselves in the right direction. Obviously our goal is to go out and finish 1-2-3-4-5, and that’s what we’re going to try to do. We’ve done a 1-2-3-4 at St. Pete [in 2005], so maybe we can try to one better it. That’s our goal.”

But will this be the final race the team can possibly finish 1-2-3-4-5, or does Andretti plan to run a five-car stable again in 2021?

“Yeah, that’s the plan,” he said. “We’re working on it. We’re making good progress there. I think we’re getting close to announce a couple guys.”

Ryan Hunter-Reay, the driver of the #28 Honda, has driven for the team since 2010. Marco Andretti, the driver of the #98 Andretti Herta Autosport Honda, has driven for the team since 2006.

James Hinchcliffe, who drove for the team from 2012 to 2014 and returned this year on a part-time deal, is currently serving as the replacement for Zach Veach behind the wheel of the #26 Honda after Veach opted to give up his ride after being told he would be released after the season.

When should we expect to know who will compete for the team in 2021?

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“Hopefully we’ll be able to have everything wrapped up by November sometime — for all five, I’m hoping,” Andretti added.