IndyCar: The first team to confirm zero changes for 2021

With Conor Daly set to return to Ed Carpenter Racing for a partial schedule in the 2021 IndyCar season, Ed Carpenter’s team became the first to confirm that there will not be any changes to their driver lineup from 2020.

Ed Carpenter Racing confirmed Friday that Conor Daly is set to return to the team for the 2021 IndyCar in the same role he had throughout the 2020 season.

Daly is set to pilot the #20 Chevrolet in the 13 road and street course races on the 17-race schedule, and he is set to pilot a separate entry in the 105th running of the Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 30.

Team owner Ed Carpenter is set to pilot the #20 Chevrolet in only the four oval races, including the Indy 500, for the eighth consecutive season, while Rinus VeeKay is set to return as the team’s lone full-time driver behind the wheel of the #21 Chevrolet for a second season.

As a result, Ed Carpenter Racing are the only team thus far to confirm that there will be no changes to their driver lineup in 2021.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing are set to return with their usual pair of full-time drivers, Graham Rahal and Takuma Sato, for the fourth straight year in 2021, but they have not yet confirmed their plans for an additional car for the Indy 500.

In 2020, Spencer Pigot drove a car that was fielded by the team in a partnership with Citrone/Buhl Autosport in both the Indy 500 and in the first race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

As for the other teams on the grid, many changes have already been confirmed.

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A.J. Foyt Enterprises have confirmed that Sebastien Bourdais and Dalton Kellett, two of their part-time drivers from 2020, are set to compete full-time in 2021.

Andretti Autosport have not completed their driver lineup, but Colton Herta is set to move from the #88 Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport Honda to the #26 Andretti Autosport Honda that had been driven by Zach Veach before he was replaced by James Hinchcliffe with three races remaining in the 2020 season.

Arrow McLaren SP have confirmed Felix Rosenqvist as the replacement for Oliver Askew alongside Pato O’Ward.

Chip Ganassi Racing are set to move to four full-time cars for the first time since 2017, with Alex Palou set to replace Rosenqvist alongside Scott Dixon and Marcus Ericsson and both Jimmie Johnson and Tony Kanaan set to share a fourth seat, with Johnson competing in the road and street course races and Kanaan set to compete in the oval races.

Meyer Shank Racing are again set to run a full-time entry for Jack Harvey, but with a second part-time entry for Helio Castroneves this time around. Additionally, Team Penske have confirmed the addition of Scott McLaughlin to their full-time lineup, giving them four full-time entries for the first time since 2017 as well.

Dale Coyne Racing and Carlin have not yet confirmed anything about their 2021 lineups. The former will certainly see at least one change, given Palou’s departure, while the latter could technically re-sign Daly for the other three oval races and re-sign Max Chilton for the 13 road and street course races plus the Indy 500 to do exactly what they did in 2020.

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The 2021 IndyCar season is scheduled to get underway in just over two and a half months on Sunday, March 7 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.