Ahead of Wednesday’s test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Chip Ganassi Racing announced that Marcus Ericsson will be returning to drive the No. 8 Honda in a what is a multi-year deal. After five years in Formula 1, Ericsson joined the NTT IndyCar series in 2019 with Arrow SPM. After a 17th place finish in the standings, he made the switch to Ganassi’s stable and has performed admirably. The 30-year old Swede recorded three top-five finishes this season, with his best result a 4th place finish at Road America.

The more consistent Ericsson finished 12th in the standings this year, just behind teammate and countryman Felix Rosenqvist. Oddly enough, Felix is on his way from Ganassi to Arrow McLaren SP for next season. With today’s announcement, Ganassi now has three drivers lined up for the 2021 season. Six-time series champion Scott Dixon will try to go back-to-back for the first time in his career, with Ericsson in the No. 8 and Jimmie Johnson set to drive the No. 48 on the road and street races next season. The driver of the No. 10 car will be named at a later date. The full press release from today is below.

[Chip Ganassi Racing Press Release]

Chip Ganassi Racing announced today that 30-year-old Swede Marcus Ericsson will continue in the No. 8 Honda in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES as part of a new, multi-year deal with the team. Partnership details will be announced in the off-season in preparation for the 2021 INDYCAR season and beyond.

Marcus Ericsson is coming off his first year with Chip Ganassi Racing, finishing 12th in the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES standings. Prior to his rookie season in INDYCAR in 2019, the Kumla, Sweden native most recently completed his fifth year in Formula 1 in 2018 with a total of 97 starts. Ericsson is a two-time champion (Formula BMW UK, 2007; Japanese Formula Three, 2009), and has twice claimed the Swedish Junior Racer of the Year award (2007, 2009). Ericsson also previously competed in British Formula Three, GP2 Asia and GP2.

Ericsson started the season with an entry that didn’t exist the year before, and piloted the No. 8 Honda to a season-best fourth-place finish at Road America. His season-best qualifying result came in the first half of the Gateway doubleheader where he started fourth, and overall he scored nine top-10 finishes in the 14 races in his first year with the organization.

“I’m very happy to continue my relationship with Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda and HPD into 2021 and beyond,” said Ericsson. “I want to thank Chip and the whole CGR organization for their trust in me. Chip Ganassi Racing is one of the best teams in motorsports and I’m proud to be part of the team. The season we’ve just finished has been full of potential and I feel confident that with what we’ve learned together this year will help us succeed in 2021. I’m looking forward to getting back in the No. 8 Honda!”

“Marcus proved that he belongs here, and this season he contributed to the success of our team greatly,” said CGR managing director Mike Hull. “That includes being unselfish to his teammates, especially with Scott Dixon who won the IndyCar championship. He’s a great foundational piece of our overall program and he fits well within our group. That translates into success on the track, and we’re glad to have him continue to grow and move the team toward into the future.”