If 2021 is the year you want to follow a new motorsport series, I would highly recommend IndyCar. Not only is it brimming with talent and some recognisable faces from F1, but the American series has arguably one of the most star-studded rookie classes in recent history. A 7-time NASCAR Cup Champion, a 3-time Australia Supercars Champion and a 10-time Formula 1 podium finisher join the ranks in 2021. Meet Jimmie Johnson, Scott McLaughlin and Romain Grosjean:
Jimmie Johnson (USA) – #48 | Chip Ganassi Racing | Season Programme: Road/Street Courses
The 45-year-old and ever-popular Jimmie Johnson makes an audacious switch from NASCAR to IndyCar. Johnson took 83 victories in 19 seasons in NASCAR, winning 7 Championships (2006-2010, 2013 & 2016). His success in NASCAR sees him level with the late Dale Earnhardt for NACAR Cup Championships.
Jimmie joins Chip Ganassi on a two-year deal. The team has powered reigning IndyCar Champion, Scott Dixon, to six titles. Although the NASCAR veteran doesn’t have much experience in open-wheel cars, he has shown a keen interest in making the switch from tintops for a while. In 2018, he participated in a McLaren Formula 1 car ride swap with Fernando Alonso at the Bahrain International Circuit. He began testing for Chip Ganassi’s IndyCar team in early 2020.
Interestingly, this is only the third different team Jimmie has worked with, spending all but one season with Hendricks Motorsport. Also, this is only the second time Johnson has had to find sponsors for a drive. He has unveiled a striking yellow and blue Carvana sponsored livery for this season, and with his testing pace, it is likely that we could see him feature near the front.
Scott McLaughlin (NZL) – #3 | Team Penske | Season Programme: Full season
The 27-year-old New Zealander heads over the Pacific for a new challenge, having dominated the Australia Supercars series over the last few years. Scott had won three titles with DJR Team Penske (2018-2020), his 2019 season was particularly astounding: 18 wins (which broke the record for most wins in a single year), 15 pole positions, 18 fastest laps, and 22 podiums in 31 races.
McLaughlin will continue with Penske in their IndyCar, having expanded to 4-full time entries for 2021 by ending their partnership with Dick Johnson Racing in the Australia Supercars. Scott had begun preparing for the move back in 2019 – and took part in tests on both road and oval courses at Sebring (January 2020) and Texas Speedway (February 2020) respectively, earning high praise from new teammates Will Power and Josef Newgarden.
The Kiwi has already made his debut but still classes as a rookie as it was only a single outing. McLaughlin was originally due to take part in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis on the road course configuration in the run up to the Indy 500, but the COVID-19 pandemic ruined those plans. He was made to wait until the season finale at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in October 2020, and was classified 22nd having crashed out near the end.
Of the three rookies, I’d favour Scott to be the top performer, owing to a slight head start in IndyCar testing and familiarity with his team.
Romain Grosjean (FRA) – #51 | Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing | Season Programme: Road/Street Courses
After a sad ending to his F1 career following the crash in Bahrain, Romain turns a new leaf by moving Stateside. The Frenchman had quite a volatile time in F1, being involved in a number of high-profile accidents but also taking 10 podiums across his nine seasons in the sport. He also scored Haas’ first points in their debut race at the 2016 Australian Grand Prix, establishing the team on the grid immediately.
Romain isn’t the first F1 driver to make the switch to IndyCar. In fact, it is becoming a more popular career path. Of the 36 other drivers taking part in the 2021 IndyCar season, 7 of them have raced in F1, including the likes of Juan Pablo Montoya, Alexander Rossi and Marcus Ericsson.
The 34-year-old Frenchman joins DCR (in partnership with Rick Ware Racing) for a part-time schedule for 2021. Announcing that he will follow the same programme as Johnson, Romain had previously stated that he would not do any ovals, meaning that Grosjean only misses four races (Texas double-header, Indy 500 and Gateway). However, he may race at the latter as Gateway is a slower oval owing to its length. Pietro Fittipaldi, who replaced Romain for the final two rounds of the 2020 F1 season, will race the #51 on the ovals. Whilst Emirati/British driver Ed Jones will be their teammate in the #18 Dale Coyne, racing with Vasser-Sullivan entry.
