Christian Lundgaard makes the switch from Rahal Letterman Lanigan to McLaren for 2025 as he steps up his bid for IndyCar success.
The Dane will partner Pato O’Ward and Nolan Siegel to form the youngest average driver line-up on the grid.
The British team has been a race-winning entity for a few seasons now and should provide Lundgaard with an exciting opportunity to compete.
But, first, he must get used to his new surroundings and working environment before ramping up the progress.
Christian Lundgaard shares ‘change is good’ verdict after struggles
Last week’s Indianapolis autumn test was a chance for drivers to familiarise themselves with the new teams and equipment they will be racing with in 2025.
Alexander Rossi tried out for the Ed Carpenter Racing outfit he had just signed for, while Alex Palou topped the day’s running for Chip Ganassi as ever.
Speaking to Motorsport.com after the test, Lundgaard shared how embedding within a new team can be tricky.
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“It was a little bit of a mix from a run plan standpoint of view. It was good to understand how they’re working as a team and for us to work together on the No. 7 car and get used to each other.
“Obviously, get some more information for the month of May. So, it was a good start, but it’s difficult, man.
“It’s difficult when you only know one thing and suddenly you’re here working in a completely different way as you’re used to. But again, change is good.”
What can Lundgaard hope to achieve with McLaren?
It has been over a year since Lundgaard secured his first and only IndyCar win around the streets of Toronto.
His move to the papaya outfit should bring about more opportunities to compete at the front, particularly when assessing their recent performance.
Pato O’Ward has been a regular at the front of the pack and has taken multiple top-two finishes in seasons for each of the last five years.
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It would be a bit of a stretch to suggest that the 23-year-old could compete for a championship straight away.
But, there’s no reason why he can be right in the mix of the top six alongside O’Ward if he can use his experience and speed well.