IndyCar driver announcement leaves one missing piece for 2024

After months of speculation regarding what his future might hold, Santino Ferrucci is officially set to return to A.J. Foyt Enterprises for the 2024 IndyCar season, marking his second season behind the wheel of the No. 14 Chevrolet.

The confirmation of Ferrucci solidifies the team's driver lineup for the upcoming 17-race season, as they had already announced that former Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing driver Sting Ray Robb is set to pilot the No. 41 Chevrolet (formerly the No. 55 Chevrolet), thus leaving Benjamin Pedersen without a ride.

Ferrucci is one of 24 confirmed full-time drivers in the 2024 lineup. One other full-time entry, the No. 20 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing, is set to be split by two drivers: rookie Christian Rasmussen in the road and street course races and team owner Ed Carpenter in the oval races.

Just one IndyCar team still needs drivers for 2024

With A.J. Foyt Enterprises having set their driver lineup for 2024, just one of the sport's 10 teams still have a seat to fill. And that team, Dale Coyne Racing, still have two seats to fill.

The aforementioned Robb has joined A.J. Foyt Enterprises after just one season, and after spending the first two seasons with the team through a partnership with his father's HMD Motorsports, David Malukas has moved to Arrow McLaren to replace the Meyer Shank Racing-bound Felix Rosenqvist.

Dale Coyne Racing will no longer have a partnership with HMD Motorsports in 2024. Whether or not their partnership with Rick Ware Racing continues remains to be seen.

There have been quite a few drivers linked to a Dale Coyne Racing seat for next year. Former HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing Indy NXT driver Danial Frost is viewed as one of the top candidates, and two drivers who lost their rides with their respective IndyCar teams after the 2023 season, Devlin DeFrancesco and Jack Harvey, are also said to be under consideration.

Then there is a whole pool of talent to consider outside of last year's IndyCar field and the Road to Indy ladder, with several former Formula 2 drivers looking to solidify new rides for 2024.

Dale Coyne Racing used to regularly wait until late in the offseason to confirm their driver lineup, and that is what appears to be happening again. The 2024 season is scheduled to begun on Sunday, March 10 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.