IndyCar: 5 possible replacements for Jimmie Johnson in 2023
By Asher Fair
Jimmie Johnson won’t be back at Chip Ganassi Racing for the full 2023 IndyCar season. Who will replace him behind the wheel of the #48 Honda?
While Alex Palou is set to return to Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2023 IndyCar season after a bizarre sequence involving Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, and McLaren, Jimmie Johnson is not.
Johnson joined IndyCar in 2021 as the driver of the #48 Honda in the road and street course races, and he became a full-time driver in 2022. However, he has announced his decision to retire from full-time competition, adding that his 2023 schedule will be limited to “bucket list” races, which may or may not include the Indy 500.
Should Chip Ganassi Racing opt to keep the #48 Honda next year and hire another full-time driver as opposed to downsizing to three cars, who will replace him? Here are five possibilities.
Possible Jimmie Johnson replacements for 2023: No. 1 – Tony Kanaan
With Rinus VeeKay having re-signed with Ed Carpenter Racing and Callum Ilott having re-signed with Juncos Hollinger Racing, many believe that Chip Ganassi Racing should sign a short-term replacement, rather than try to find a long-term replacement right off the bat.
This suggestion has been floated by multiple parties under the assumption that Chip Ganassi Racing go all-in on Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta for 2024.
Tony Kanaan makes perfect sense here. Kanaan was slated to run just the oval races for a second straight season this year before giving up his seat so that Johnson could run full-time.
Kanaan, who competed full-time for the team from 2014 to 2017, went out and secured his own funding for the Indy 500 and proved he still has what it takes to run up front, finishing in third place.
Interestingly, Brazilian media reported that Kanaan was in line to replace Palou as early as the race at Toronto in July, the race immediately following the dueling Palou announcements. And let’s not forget that he knew about the chaotic Palou situation well before any of it actually went public.