IndyCar: What we know about the 2021 driver lineup

The 2021 IndyCar driver lineup has not yet been completely solidified, but here is a brief rundown of what we know about it thus far.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon closed out the 2020 IndyCar season on top of the championship standings, which is where he sat after each of the season’s 14 races, to secure his second title in the last three years and his sixth career title.

With a season that lasted into late October instead of late September as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the offseason between the 2020 and 2021 seasons was only scheduled to last for about four and a half months.

With just over three months remaining in that offseason, there are still a number of spots in the driver lineup for the 17-race 2021 season that are up for grabs, but more of them have been confirmed than have not.

So what do we already know about the 2021 IndyCar driver lineup as the month of December gets underway?

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After only competing in three races on the 2020 schedule for A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Sebastien Bourdais is set to drive for the team behind the wheel of the #14 Chevrolet, which was split among three drivers throughout the season, on a full-time basis in 2021.

Andretti Autosport are again set to run five cars, and three drivers have been confirmed. Alexander Rossi is set to return to the team for a sixth year, again behind the wheel of the #27 Honda, while Ryan Hunter-Reay is set to return to the team for a 12th, again behind the wheel of the #28 Honda. Colton Herta is set to return to the team for a second season, again behind the wheel of the #88 Honda for Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport.

Arrow McLaren SP are set to bring back Pato O’Ward for a second year behind the wheel of the #5 Chevrolet, but they have replaced Oliver Askew with former Chip Ganassi Racing driver Felix Rosenqvist behind the wheel of the #7 Chevrolet.

Chip Ganassi Racing have expanded from a three-car team to a four-car team. Marcus Ericsson is set to return for a second year behind the wheel of the #8 Honda while Scott Dixon is set to return for a 20th year behind the wheel of the #9 Honda.

The #10 Honda, which Rosenqvist had driven since 2019, is set to be driven by former Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh driver Alex Palou.

The team’s fourth car is the #48 Honda, which is set to be driven by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson in the 13 road and street course races and Tony Kanaan in the four oval races. Kanaan, who drove full-time for Chip Ganassi Racing from 2014 through 2017, ran an ovals-only schedule for A.J. Foyt Enterprises in 2020.

Ed Carpenter have confirmed that Rinus VeeKay is set to be their full-time driver of the #21 Chevrolet for the second consecutive season while team owner Ed Carpenter is set to enter his eighth season as the driver of the #20 Chevrolet in only the oval races.

Jack Harvey is set to return for a second full season behind the wheel of the #60 Honda for Meyer Shank Racing, and he is set to have a teammate for the first time, as Helio Castroneves is set to compete in six races behind the wheel of the #06 Honda.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing are set to move forward with the same duo they have had since the 2018 season, with Graham Rahal back behind the wheel of the #15 Honda for the ninth consecutive year and Takuma Sato back behind the wheel of the #30 Honda for the fourth straight season.

Finally, Team Penske are set to return their trio of Josef Newgarden behind the wheel of the #2 Chevrolet, Will Power behind the wheel of the #12 Chevrolet and Simon Pagenaud behind the wheel of the #22 Chevrolet.

But they are set to make it a quartet for the first time since 2017 with the addition of three-time Australian Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin, who made his series debut in the 2020 season finale.

No confirmations have been made about the futures of Dale Coyne Racing or Carlin yet.

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The 2021 IndyCar season is scheduled to begin where the 2020 season was supposed to begin for the 10th straight season but instead ended due to the coronavirus pandemic: on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is scheduled to kick things off on Sunday, March 7, making it the season opener for the 10th time in the last 11 years.