Alpine junior Lundgaard switches to IndyCar with RLL

40

FIA Formula 2 racer Christian Lundgaard will be heading west next year, having signed up with Rahal Letterman Lanigan to compete in the 2022 NTT IndyCar Championship.

The 20-year-old Alpine junior who currently sits eleventh in this year's F2 championship that will conclude in Abu Dhabi in December made his IndyCar debut with RLL at the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix at Indianapolis in August.

The young charger adapted quickly to the unfamiliar environment and evidently impressed team boss Bobby Rahal who offered Lundgaard a multi-year deal in IndyCar.

"I’m very pleased that Christian will be joining us for the next several years," said Rahal.

"His performance on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway certainly surprised everybody. For him to do the job he did was tremendous and certainly beyond our expectations.

"With a little more time under his belt, I think the performance would have been even stronger.

"Everyone within the team was very pleased and it created a lot of excitement and positive reactions from the fans on social media and online as well as a positive buzz in the paddock.

"Some may not know, but he had food poisoning so he wasn’t feeling 100 percent that day and yet to have the kind of weekend we had was great.

"I look forward to a long relationship with Christian. He’s a great young man who fit well with the team immediately and we are all excited about what we can do together."

©Twitter/RLL

Needless to say, the young Dane is excited about his new endeavour and migration to America.

"I’m very excited to join Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in INDYCAR," said the ART Grand Prix F2 driver.

"They are a fantastic team who made me feel very welcome earlier this year when I made my debut in the series.

"They are the perfect choice and I’m happy to join them on this next chapter in my career.

Read also - Andretti: Formula 1 'clearly on Colton Herta's mind'

"I was very much open minded when I raced at Indianapolis in August and the experience then only grew my hunger to give it another go, so to have the opportunity as a full-time professional racing driver is a privilege.

"I can only thank Bobby, Piers [Phillips – RLL president] and the team, as well as my investors and Alpine for putting it all together. I’m determined to repay that faith with on-track performances beginning when the season starts in February.

"Of course, this will be a completely new challenge for me, especially with oval racing, which I’ve never done before," added Lundgaard.

"I’d like to think I’m a fast learner, so taking this on is going to be an awesome experience. For now, I’m not setting too many expectations other than working hard and enjoying the racing and hopefully the results will follow.

"For now, though, my focus is on finishing the Formula 2 Championship before fully committing to taking on INDYCAR. I can’t wait for the experience to begin."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.