It hasn’t been a week since Marcus Ericsson of Komla took the victory of his life in the Indy 500.
Now back to the car. In Detroit where he won his first IndyCar race a year ago.
The 31-year-old used to live life at high speeds, but last week it hasn’t completely gone away. It was running at full speed around the clock. After winning the Indy 500, he attended banquets and press conferences, flew private jets to New York, opened the stock market, threw baseballs and stood atop the Empire State Building.
It’s been busy around the clock – and it’s finally got an estimate.
– It was a tough time in IndyCar, I wasn’t seen as a driver who came here on merit, more as one who paid for himself, but last year I had a small achievement and I had to show that there was talent. Now it’s taken another step, says Marcus Ericsson.
Marcus Ericsson of Kumla drives IndyCar
Marcus Ericsson went from Komla through British motorsports, to a number of seasons in Formula 2, and then to Formula 1 where he competed for Caterham and Sauber that later became Alfa Romeo. He left Formula 1 in 2018, and joined a smaller team at IndyCar 2019, a team that is today part of McLaren. Already during his first season, he took a podium place in Detroit and then got a chance with the top team Chip Ganassi Racing. Last year, he won two stables races, one in Detroit and one in Nashville, and this year he achieved his first stable victory in the Indy 500 since 2012.
Dario Franchitti then claimed his third Indianapolis 500 win and is now the driving instructor at Chip Ganassi Racing. Last Saturday, the night before this year’s Indy 500, he sat down with Marcus Ericsson and strategized how the Swede might win the world’s biggest racing competition.
He succeeded.
– I followed it literally. This is the hardest race to win, there is so much that can go wrong, on the right track, in the warehouse. But this year I felt like I had a routine and decided to go into the top four on 150 laps and take care of the car to give myself the best conditions of the last two laps, says Marcus Ericsson.
– I knew things would happen after that, because they always happen and then it’s important to save the car and the fuel.
Do you want to win both the Indy 500 and IndyCar?
After the victory in Indianapolis, Komla’s Marcus Ericsson now drives IndyCar, but in Detroit, a whole different kind of trail awaits. It is a city track with 13 curves, it is fast turning and uneven with heavy braking and fast straight distances. It was there that Felix Rosenqvist crashed hard about a year ago.
– But is there any path I should get to after this crazy week, it’s Detroit. I always drive well there, says Marcus Ericsson.
– Now I’m putting myself in such a good position for this year’s tournament and I’m going to take care of it. I bet you win it too.
No Swedish driver has managed this before. Kenny Brack finished second in the championship in 1999, the same year he won the Indy 500. On the other hand, Värmland won the championship the previous year.
You can read a longer interview with Marcus here.
He also talked about his victory on the F1 podcast, Plattan i Mattan.
Felix Rosenqvist returns to Detroit
Felix Rosenqvist finished fourth in the Indy 500, which was his best position this year and his best position in the Indy 500. Now the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix awaits the physically stressful city track Bill Isle in Detroit. Previously, there were two races over the weekend in Detroit, and this year there is only one.
“I really feel like we’re on the right track now,” says Felix Rosenqvist.
– The Indy 500 was a perfectly executed race, and we really maximized the package we had. It was a huge boost for the whole team. We’re really looking forward to building on that this weekend in Detroit, which is an important competition for us and Chevrolet.
It was in Detroit that he crashed badly last year, a horrific accident that was due to a car malfunction and he couldn’t make an impact in any way.
We all know what happened in Detroit last year, but it’s really not something I think about anymore. The usual thing is that I was in really good shape in that race before the crash. It looks like we have unresolved work out there and I’m really looking forward to getting back to Detroit with the latest positive race behind us.
The latest talk now is about Rosenqvist’s future at McLaren. The stable is over with Alexaner Rossi, who is leaving Andretti Autosport after seven years. Then the question is whether Rossi will be the third car in the stable or whether he will be Pat Oward’s only teammate. Rosenqvist still has nothing ready for 2023.
timetable
All information refers to Swedish time
NTT INDYCAR Series | Research and development. 7
Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix
Belle Isle Detroit (USA)
Friday 3 June
Free training 1: 21.30 – 22.30
Saturday 4th June
Free Training 2: 14.30-15.30
Qualifications: 18.35 – 19.50
Sunday 5 June
Warm-up: 16.15-16.45
Race (70 laps): 9:30 p.m.
TV (Live): V Sport Motor and Viaplay