Christian Lundgaard remains bewildered after McLaren decided not to re-sign him for the 2027 season, despite him being the team's best finisher in the 2026 championship, finishing third.
McLaren's decision surprised many. The team cited Lundgaard's lack of oval results and did not see him as an Indianapolis 500 contender, a title McLaren desperately seeks. Instead, they signed six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon and Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist.
Although disappointed, Lundgaard chose not to dwell on it. "It's still a big question mark to me and I think it is to many," he said. "I choose to look at it in a very different way. I've done well and a better opportunity has arisen versus what it could have been."
Indeed, it didn't take long for Lundgaard to find a new team. Chip Ganassi Racing moved quickly after learning Dixon would depart. Chip Ganassi admitted that Lundgaard was the obvious choice. "Christian's name kept landing back as the obvious one. Every name that came along, we said, 'okay, well, how does that compare with Lundgaard?'" he said.
Ganassi also revealed there were candidates from outside IndyCar, but timing and contract issues complicated the process. "There are a lot of timing issues that come into play on these types of transactions," he added.
For Lundgaard, the pressure to win on ovals isn't overwhelming. He learned from Alex Palou, who didn't win on an oval until his sixth season, winning the 2025 Indianapolis 500. "Alex had never won an oval until he won the 500 and kind of mastered it," Lundgaard recalled.
With his move to Ganassi, Lundgaard hopes to prove McLaren wrong. He is ready to face new challenges and show he can compete at the top of IndyCar.
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