Grosjean joins Juncos to remain on IndyCar grid for 2024

Romain Grosjean will drive for Juncos Hollinger Racing in IndyCar next year, replacing Callum Ilott in their line-up.

Ilott had raced for Juncos since 2021, and bookended this season with two fifth places – the team’s best ever results in IndyCar. But in October the team made the surprise announcement that Ilott had “mutually agreed to part ways” with the team and a replacement driver of the number 77 car he raced had not been signed.

Speculation quickly mounted that Grosjean, who lost his seat with Andretti Global in September, would move to Juncos to continue his IndyCar career and confirmation arrived today.

“I’ve been closely following Juncos’s ascension in the past few seasons,” said Grosjean. “The team has showcased significant growth, and I am eager to contribute my experience as we aim for a strong 2024 season.

Ricardo Juncos, team co-owner and team principal, said the the former F1 driver will bring an “unparalleled pedigree in motorsports” to his new IndyCar outfit.

“His leadership and experience are precisely what we need to propel JHR to new heights in IndyCar,” Juncos said.

Grosjean spent ten seasons in Formula 1, picking up ten podiums from 179 races, before losing his Haas seat for 2021. That prompted him to look at IndyCar, and he joined Dale Coyne Racing to race a car that was co-run by Rick Ware Racing.

In his first season he claimed three podiums and started from pole position at just his third attempt, but as he missed three of the oval races he ended up down in 15th in the standings. That was still enough to convince Andretti to sign him, and he came 13th in the 2022 standings with one podium and two other top-five finishes.

The expected improvements in his third IndyCar season did not quite come, as although in the first four races of 2023 he started from pole twice and finished second twice, in the 13 races that followed he only once finished in the top ten and was 13th in the championship again.

He will be team mate to Agustin Canapino at Juncos. There is a huge gulf of experience between the pair, as the 2023 IndyCar season was Canapino’s first in single-seater racing.

Ilott has not commented on where his racing future now lies, although there are still several vacancies left on the 2024 IndyCar grid. AJ Foyt Racing and Dale Coye are yet to announce the drivers of any of their cars, Andretti have a fourth car which they have not confirmed their plans for, and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is looking for funding to run a fourth car which their 2023 part-timer Juri Vips is in contention to appear in but is open to other drivers.

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