How F1's other IndyCar exile finally unlocked his potential

Romain Grosjean's swashbuckling rookie year in IndyCar captured the imagination of many in 2021. But another ex-Formula 1 driver whose potential was masked by five years of toil in, at best, middling machinery also enjoyed a breakout year in 2021 - winning twice and finishing sixth in points. Here's how Marcus Ericsson finally delivered on his promise

Marcus Ericsson has long been something of an enigma. Many who worked with him, across Formula BMW, F3, GP2 and F1, were adamant that he was genuinely quick. Yet his inconsistency, especially in qualifying, was maddening – combined with an unfair share of random mishaps that often seemed to get him down.

It's been a long-held view of this writer that if someone could help him get over whatever stumbling block it was that held him back, he’d be a real weapon at any level. And, according to those close to him, there’s been a “light-switch change” that’s resulted in two IndyCar Series wins and a top-six points finish in 2021.

In this article

Charles Bradley

IndyCar

Marcus Ericsson

Chip Ganassi Racing

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Author Charles Bradley

Charles Bradley is Chief Editor of Autosport US. After spending five years in the aerospace industry in his native North Wales, while working weekends as a freelance writer at racetracks around the UK, Charles joined the staff of Motoring News in the heart of London. He transferred to the nascent Autosport.com team in 2000 before transitioning to the magazine, becoming its Editor between 2011 and 2014. Charles then upped sticks to work in America, as Motorsport.com’s Editor in Chief, where he created the multi-national and multi-lingual editorial team that quickly became the world’s most-read motorsport website. He was instrumental in delivering three of the biggest Global F1 Fan Surveys in sports history and is also a multiple award-winning scriptwriter. Charles is an overseas member of the Guild of Motoring Writers and lives in Miami Beach with his wife Helen – and a cat that’s named after Serbia’s top football club.