Formula E driver Felix Rosenqvist has signed to drive for front-running IndyCar team Ganassi in 2019, RaceFans has learned.
Ganassi tested Rosenqvist in 2016 and 2017, and described his last outing for them as “flawless”. However the team cut its entry from four cars last year to two for this season, leaving no room for the 22-year-old in their line-up at the time.Four-time IndyCar champion and current points leader Scott Dixon signed a new multi-year deal with the team earlier this season. Ganassi does not intend to expand beyond two cars next year, meaning Ed Jones is set to lose his drive to Rosenqvist at the end of his first season at the team.
Rosenqvist is considered one of the top talents of recent seasons to have been overlooked by Formula 1. He won the 2015 European Formula Three championship for Prema and is a two-time winner of the Macau Grand Prix.
He has already had a brief spell of racing in America, where he won three Indy Lights races with Belardi, including his second start for the team at St Petersburg. He then moved on to Formula E with Mahindra, finishing third in the 2017-17 championship.
His 2017-18 campaign began strongly, with wins in the second and third rounds putting him ahead in the points, but he slipped to sixth in the final classification.
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Exediron (@exediron)
27th August 2018, 9:20
Good news! Now all we need is for Fernando to confirm that he’s heading to Indy, and I know what series I’ll be watching in 2019 :D
(Just kidding, I would have anyway. But I’m excited to see what FRO can do in an Indy car)
Miltiadis (@miltosgreekfan)
27th August 2018, 9:35
Shame he leaves rhe Formula E grid, as he is a very fast & aggressiv driver, but at least Felipe’s No19 will be free to use :p
Jimbo
27th August 2018, 9:38
This guy deserves a shot at F1. He always performs, he jumped in to a Super GT for Spa this weekend in the guest car and qualified in the top 10! In the guest car! He finished 9th in the race. He was quite cautious in the race saying after that he had to respect the full time drivers in the championship and didn’t want to race to hard. Porsche said it was the best guest appearence in many, many years. (He also did a guest appearance in Porsche Carrera Cup last year and won both races.)
Just recently he was third, just behind Gasly in Super Formula championship and we all know what team Gasly will race for next year.
He is fast in whatever he drives. If I were Torro Rosso I would go after him for a race seat next year given that they have big gaps in their junior program. But I guess it is to late for that now.
bosyber (@bosyber)
27th August 2018, 9:52
Great news, sure he also was doing well in formula e, but I think indy cars, for now, provides a more competitive and interesting field where he can grow further.
StephenH
27th August 2018, 10:40
Sad for Ed Jones, he had a good run at Gateway last time out.
JayTee
27th August 2018, 12:40
Interesting, I hadn’t thought about that. I’m sure Felix can run in both series, and if he does so Massa will have to run with a different number
Silfen (@silfen)
27th August 2018, 12:57
The reason for this was his Fomula E contract. Otherwise it would have been him in the Ganassi and Jones still in the Coyne car.
Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
27th August 2018, 13:05
Awesome good to see him taking another step up. Don’t understand why Longbow haven’t shown more interest
Don Dahler
27th August 2018, 14:13
Great to see him finally get in. Alonso has his work cut out for him.
Dane
27th August 2018, 14:52
Tough break for Ed Jones, but the guy is nearly 300pts behind Dixon. Felix will hopefully be more of a match.
Chrill
28th August 2018, 0:48
Really should be on course to replace Gasly at Toro Rosso in 2019. Rosenqvist can drive any car, we’ve seen it in F3, Super Formula, DTM, Formula E, Indy Lights, and Porsche GT. Obviously we’ll see it in Indy next year. A new Kenny Bräck perhaps.