Ganassi Indicators Christian Lundgaard, Pairing IndyCar Champion Palou With Series’ No. 3 Driver

Chip Ganassi Racing will subject the first- and third-place finishers from the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series championship subsequent season after signing Christian Lundgaard to a multiyear deal, the staff introduced Tuesday.

The 25-year-old Dane will drive the No. 9 Honda alongside champion Alex Palou and Kyffin Simpson, based on the staff. Terms weren’t disclosed.

The signing provides Ganassi a second front-runner. Palou received the title with 631 factors and 6 victories, however no different Ganassi driver completed within the prime 10 this season: Scott Dixon, within the No. 9, was twelfth with 331 factors and no wins, and Simpson was thirteenth with 327. Lundgaard completed third with 535 factors and received on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway street course and Road America. According to IndyCar, he additionally grew to become solely the sixth driver in sequence historical past to finish each lap of a season.

He did it in a lame-duck 12 months. Arrow McLaren confirmed on July 6 that Dixon, a six-time champion with Ganassi, would take over Lundgaard’s No. 7 Chevrolet in 2027, RACER reported, ending Lundgaard’s two-year stint with the staff. Lundgaard nonetheless completed forward of each McLaren teammates, together with Pato O’Ward, who was fourth with 522 factors.

Team principal Tony Kanaan had questioned Lundgaard’s oval type when he made the change, based on IndyStar. “We all don’t think Christian is there yet. He might prove me wrong next year, but it’s the choice that I made,” Kanaan mentioned in July. After Lundgaard completed third at Milwaukee in late August, Kanaan mentioned, “If that actually is what he needed, we’re going to give him a hell of a fight next year,” IndyStar reported.

Lundgaard has three wins, 4 poles and 21 top-five finishes in 87 profession begins. His 2023 win in Toronto made him the primary Danish driver to win an IndyCar race, the staff mentioned.

Chip Ganassi mentioned within the launch that Lundgaard is “capable of accomplishing even more,” including that the staff is “looking forward to helping him reach that next level with the No. 9 team.” Lundgaard known as the transfer “an honor and a privilege.”

The 2027 season opens March 7 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.