After four seasons behind the wheel of the No. 14 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet, Santino Ferrucci will not return to the team full-time in 2027, with 2026 Rookie of the Year Dennis Hauger set to take his place after spending the year at Dale Coyne Racing.
It was far from the first big announcement of IndyCar silly season, but it was indeed the first silly season-related announcement of the offseason, which began when the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season came to an end at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca two weekends ago.
A.J. Foyt's team had been one of three teams with nothing confirmed about their driver lineup next year. While they have broken free from that pack, they are still one of four with at least one vacant seat to fill.
4 IndyCar teams still need drivers for 2027
Caio Collet spent his rookie season behind the wheel of the team's No. 4 Chevrolet in 2026, but it is believed that Foyt is looking to replace him. Indy NXT driver Josh Pierson has been the name most often mentioned for this seat due to funding, although that could change amid the series' new licensing standards. Even if Pierson is brought in, there's a chance he could split the ride with Ferrucci.
The other team with one seat left to fill is Chip Ganassi Racing, and for as long as this Scott Dixon replacement saga has gone on, it feels exactly the same as it felt in early July: anybody other than Christian Lundgaard as the new full-time driver of the No. 9 Honda would be a massive shock.
Lundgaard is the driver whom Dixon is set to replace at Arrow McLaren, and McLaren's decision to cut ties with him after a season in which he won two races, added five more podium finishes (yes, including one on an oval), and finished third in points remains baffling. For as legendary as Dixon's career is, he's 46 years old and just had his first winless season since 2004.
That leaves us with Dale Coyne Racing, which generally seem to take as long as possible to confirm their lineup, and Juncos Hollinger Racing. That said, it would be a massive shock if Rinus VeeKay, whose name had been loosely linked to the Ganassi seat, isn't back for a second season with JHR.
As for his teammate, that could depend on how much funding comes into the equation. Collet would certainly make a lot of sense, given the combination of funding and talent. Either way, it does seem fairly certain that Sting Ray Robb won't be back in the series next year.
And as for Coyne, the real question is whether or not any announcements will be made by Christmas. You would think that Romain Grosjean would want to be back, but if not, what then? This feels like the logical landing spot for Indy NXT champion Nikita Johnson, and this team has historically been at their best when they have full-time drivers, rather than shared entries.
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