Entering the IndyCar offseason between the 2026 and 2027 campaigns, four teams had yet to solidify their driver lineups for next year.
One of those teams made a somewhat surprising early offseason announcement, with A.J. Foyt Enterprises confirming that 2026 Rookie of the Year Dennis Hauger, who spent the year with Dale Coyne Racing, is set to replace Santino Ferrucci, who had driven the No. 14 Chevrolet since 2023.
But Foyt's lineup is yet to be finalized, as they still have a vacancy to fill behind the wheel of the No. 4 Chevrolet, which rookie Caio Collet drove in 2026.
Now one of the four teams that entered the offseason facing uncertainty has officially solidified their lineup, and it's not Foyt.
Instead, it's Chip Ganassi Racing. They had long been linked to Christian Lundgaard, who was bafflingly dropped by Arrow McLaren despite a career year, as the replacement for Scott Dixon, and they made it official earlier this week.
3 IndyCar teams still must confirm their 2027 lineups
Lundgaard is set to replace the McLaren-bound Dixon behind the wheel of the No. 9 Honda, the car Dixon had driven for a quarter of a century. The 25-year-old Danish driver is set to join a lineup that also consists of Kyffin Simpson and four-time reigning (five-time overall) series champion Alex Palou.
With Ganassi having officially confirmed a new chapter, after the 59-time race winner made the decision to leave for McLaren and bring an end to the most successful driver-team pairing in IndyCar history, there are just three teams left with at least one vacancy in their lineup for 2027.
Foyt has long been linked to Indy NXT driver Josh Pierson, primarily due to his funding, but a part-time team for Ferrucci hasn't been ruled out, especially amid the series' new licensing standards that could delay any potential full-time Pierson deal. The other two teams have yet to confirm anything. Dale Coyne Racing and Juncos Hollinger Racing both have two empty seats to fill.
Hauger has obviously left Coyne for Foyt, while Romain Grosjean has yet to confirm whether or not he plans to return. Coyne has emerged as a top landing spot for Indy NXT champion Nikita Johnson.
As for Juncos Hollinger Racing, Rinus VeeKay returning after his impressive first year with the team seems inevitable. The No. 77 car might be the most coveted vacancy remaining, and there have been a number of names linked to replace Sting Ray Robb.
Callum Ilott is the latest name added to that list, and he might well be the frontrunner after missing the 2026 season entirely due to Prema's failure to field a single car. He drove for Juncos Hollinger Racing from 2021 to 2023 and is said to bring funding, but he is also a driver whom many rightfully believe deserves a seat based purely on merit. The way his first stint with the team ended would presumably not be an obstacle.
Add us as a preferred source on Google