When Scott Dixon's shocking departure from Chip Ganassi Racing was confirmed in early July, Arrow McLaren was the only landing spot that made any sense for him for the 2027 NTT IndyCar Series season.
It also meant that Christian Lundgaard, despite a multi-win, seven-podium season in which he led the team in points, would likely be out of a ride, and he immediately became the favorite to replace the six-time champion alongside Kyffin Simpson and five-time champion Alex Palou next year. His McLaren departure was indeed eventually confirmed.
After nearly three months, during which there were never any other names seriously linked to the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda despite wide-ranging interest from not only around the IndyCar paddock but the entire motorsport world, Lundgaard's new ride has been confirmed.
Christian Lundgaard joins Chip Ganassi Racing
While Dixon is actually officially set to replace Nolan Siegel behind the wheel of the No. 6 Chevrolet, with Felix Rosenqvist set to take over in the No. 7 Chevrolet that Lundgaard drove, Lundgaard is officially set to replace Dixon behind the wheel of the No. 9 Honda, following a career year.
For the entire silly season, the narrative has been all about just how big of a mistake it is for McLaren to let a driver of Lundgaard's caliber walk. He is just 25 years old, finished third in the standings with two wins and five other podiums, and now has a chance to be a thorn in their side for decades to come at a team McLaren are known to be aiming to beat.
Sure, Rosenqvist is the reigning Indy 500 champion, and the Indy 500 arguably means more to McLaren than the IndyCar championship, due to its status in the "Triple Crown" . But for as much talk as there has been about Lundgaard supposedly not being good on ovals, that Indy 500 win is Rosenqvist's only top-three oval finish in eight seasons.
Let's not forget that they let Rosenqvist go after three seasons back in 2023 as well, and they would have let him go after just two if Palou had been allowed to leave Ganassi.
And sure, Dixon is a six-time champion with 59 career race wins, both second on their respective all-time lists. But he also just had his worst season in more than two decades, ending a 21-year win streak, and is 21 years older than Lundgaard. Can what he brings to the table really prove invaluable long-term for the rest of the team as they aim to truly establish themselves among IndyCar's best?
At this point, that's none of Lundgaard's concern. It's rare for a third-place driver to effectively be fired, but it's even rarer for a ride like the No. 9 car to become open, much less at the same time. He is looking forward to the opportunity, and while he may not admit it, you better believe that the chance to prove his old bosses wrong is something that he doesn't want to pass up.
The 2027 IndyCar season is scheduled to begin on Sunday, March 7 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, with live coverage set to be provided by Fox from the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.
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