IndyCar Series 2023 Driver Roster – Where Will The Drivers Be?

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The NTT IndyCar Series 2022 had its fair share of romps and controversial moments. Will Power clinched only his second IndyCar title while Josef Newgarden was runners up in points. Elsewhere, Colton Herta was heading to Formula One, but low F1 super license points turned his AlphaTauri dream on its head. Alex Palou also had his fair share of drama, and the tug-of-war between McLaren and Ganassi proved wilder than expected.

On the bright side, the dust settled after the grand finale at Laguna Seca, with car enthusiasts, racers, and spectators looking forward to the 2023 IndyCar Series. However, which drivers will appear in the 2023 iconic event, and with which teams?

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown will have a new driver for the upcoming season with a decorated resume. Alexander Rossi joins Felix Rosenqvist and Pato O’Ward in a third car, with the Indy 500 2016 winner bringing valuable experience.

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Jones returns to the series on a part-time basis with a few more races in the Indy 500. So, that leaves Chip Ganassi Racing with a vacancy to fill with several high-profile drivers on their list. Rumour has it that former Williams Formula One driver Nicholas Latifi is a prime consideration for the open seat. Ganassi still plans to run their Honda-powered car with a different number.

With such uncertainty surrounding IndyCar drivers, bookmakers have come up with fascinating odds on which team a driver will join. IndyCar fans can also check out WinnersBet for exciting odds among betting markets, like the fastest lap, prop bets, driver bets, pole position, and driver matchup bets.

Colton Herta has put pen to paper with Andretti Autosport, with the number 26 driver expected to be with the motor outfit up to the 2027 season, at the very least. Kyle Kirkwood replaces Rossi at Andretti, with the former fresh from a rough rookie campaign at AJ Foyt Racing. At Andretti, Kyle will have a significantly better car, and there’ll be expectations he will perform in a manner that earned him the praise he has so far gained.

Consequently, Santino Ferrucci returns full-time for the 2023 IndyCar Series and slots right into the void left by Kyle Kirkwood at Foyt. Rookie Benjamin Pedersen will partner with Santino, who replaces Dalton Kellett in the other Foyt entry.

David Malukas prepares for his sophomore season after a remarkable debut in 2022 with Takuma Sato, his most likely teammate. However, Malukas, a two-time Indy 500 winner, hasn’t officially announced his return. If Sato calls it a career, Dale Coyne Racing may opt for Sting Ray Robb, Linus Lundqvist, Marcus Armstrong, or Danial Frost.

The other elephant in the room that needs to be addressed is Juncos Hollinger Racing’s second car. The Hollinger outfit already has plans to field a second full-time car season, yet they haven’t enlisted a driver for the seat. Meanwhile, other motor groups, such as Meyer Shank Racing, Team Penske, RLL Racing, and Ed Carpenter Racing, will return in 2023 with the same driver lineup.

More seats will need to be filled at Indianapolis, with plenty of drivers eager to bag a deal for the 107th edition of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing come May. Tonny Kanaan will be the fourth entry for Arrow McLaren SP, and Marco Andretti will make a comeback for his father’s team for his 18th Indy 500 start. Sage Karam will likely still be with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing leaving Dreyer with only one seat to fill.

Dragon Speed or Top Gun Racing can mark their return at the speedway. Other notable names vying for seats at Indy include Stefan Wilson, Jimmie Johnson, Simona de Silvestro, and JR Hildebrand, to highlight a few. Also in the spanner works is the potential return of Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson as the duo contemplate ‘the double’ in May.           

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