Recently, The Girls Who – Motorsport sat down with Andretti Global driver Marcus Ericsson ahead of the 2026 IndyCar season. During the break, the Swede continued to drive, facing GT racing in a variety of series. We discussed how that can prepare him for IndyCar.
How GT and IndyCar Complement Each Other
During the off-season, Ericsson purposefully went “outside my comfort zone to really challenge myself.” This included running in the 12 hours of Sepang and the Rolex 24 to have more time driving GT cars. Ericsson’s team, Wayne Taylor Racing, came eighth in the GTD category and 36th overall—a positive start to his year.
The Swede shared with us how GT cars are “very different“ to what he is used to in single-seater racing. Subsequently, he learnt a lot through these outings, such as how to “use the brakes in the most efficient ways”, or “the weight of the car to your advantage.” Despite the learning curve, Ericsson believes that “a lot of those things, you can also translate to an IndyCar.”
He acknowledged how, in IndyCar, “you might not think as much” about the areas that are “very crucial in a GT car”. Now, he believes those areas are also crucial in single-seater racing. Since competing in the Rolex 24, he is now considering how he can apply what he learnt that will “help me when we get to IndyCar.”
What Impacts Consistency?
Earlier in the press conference, Ericsson said he lacked the consistency he had at Chip Ganassi Racing, which affected his 2025 campaign. To follow this up, we asked him how he and Andretti Global can work towards gaining that consistency back.
“It comes down to preparation,” he responded. Ericsson followed this up by explaining how it is about “preparation before race weekends, how we analyse after race weekends, how we work as a team, as a group.” But ultimately, “a lot of things” affect the consistency of a campaign.
On a personal level, Ericsson has noticed a “lot of small details” he can work on to help him “perform better“. However, he also admitted that “it’s not one specific thing” that will gain him that consistency. But, in the off-season, the pairing has “worked on it a lot. We’ve analysed a lot.” Ericsson and Andretti know what they need to do, and the driver believes they “have a strong game plan“ for the year ahead.
The Toll Of A Busy Season
Unlike previous seasons, the 2026 IndyCar season sees a “very busy start to the year“—with four races in March and a triple-header to start. Ericsson shared how the key to this comes down to being prepared.
This year, “when you get to St Pete, you’ve got to be ready to go.” Previous years saw more breaks in the early stages, allowing teams and drivers more time to fine-tune and make improvements. But with races back-to-back, there’s no time for that luxury this year. “If you’re not there for race one, you’re going to struggle because it’s going to be uphill very fast.”
Ultimately, the Indy 500 winner knows what he needs to do to improve on his 2025 campaign, and he’s working on it. Ericsson believes that the season will be “great, but tough”.
See more articles on drivers’ goals and teams’ outlooks for the 2026 IndyCar season here.