2022 IndyCar Silly Season heats up (Update)
While there were rumors Alex Albon was talking to Andretti Autosport about a possible IndyCar ride next year, it now appears Albon is also eyeing a Formula E ride with Nissan.
Nissan have confirmed that Alexander Albon is under consideration for a move to Formula E for next season as they search for a replacement for Oliver Rowland who will leave the team after the current campaign ends in Berlin.
“Obviously, he [Albon] is among the ones we are considering and he kept contact with us so we are talking regularly,” said Nissan team manager Francois Sicard to The Race.
“He’s following what we do, so we are very close to Alex, and he could be among the ones we can select. But there are others, and you have to know that Alex might also have other opportunities [i.e. IndyCar].”
So for now, Albon remains listed as a possibility with Andretti with a rating of ‘speculation’ in our 2022 IndyCar Silly Season table below.
July 22, 2021
With today’s news that Jack Harvey decided to leave Meyer Shank Racing for greener pastures, the IndyCar rumor mill has been blown wide open.
Speculation on the street has Jack Harvey possibly going to Andretti Autosport, but more likely to Rahal Letterman Lanigan.
Complicating Harvey’s move to Andretti are Romain Grosjean and Alexander Albon, both rumored to be talking to Andretti. It really depends whether the rumors are true that Alexander Rossi might go to Team Penske, Hunter-Reay will seek a part-time ride with another team, and James Hinchcliffe will become a TV announcer. This which would open up two or three seats at Andretti – Rossi’s, Hunter-Reay’s and Hinchcliffe’s.
So, it could be significant changes at Andretti for 2022.
Rumor has it that former F1 driver, and current Ganassi IMSA driver, Kevin Magnussen, could drive the #60 in 2022. Meyer Shank Racing said today that a dynamic young driver will be in the #60 in 2022 and Magnussen, at 28, is both young and certainly dynamic. However, we hear that dynamic young driver will be Andretti protege Kyle Kirkwood, who is also dynamic and very young and poised to bring $1 million if he wins the Indy Lights title.
The other rumor making the rounds is that F1 reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg (pictured above), who has eyed IndyCar for years now, will finally make the move in 2022 and is talking to Arrow McLaren SP as a possible replacement for Felix Rosenqvist who has not measured up to his faster teammate Pato O’Ward.
The last rumor making the rounds is that Vasser-Sullivan may not remain with Dale Coyne Racing and are eying teaming up with another team. James Sullivan to Autosport, “It could be that we continue with Dale Coyne Racing, or it could be that it’s a different partnership. We are listening to others, checking out ideas that have been presented to us for new partnerships.”
Mark C. reporting for AutoRacing1.com
2022 IndyCar Silly Season Page |
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Team | Engine | No. | Driver | Primary Sponsor | Rating | Comment |
AJ Foyt Racing |
Chevy |
4 | Dalton Kellett | K-Line | Strong | |
14 | Sebastien Bourdais | ROKIT | Speculation | Likely to re-sign | ||
14 | Tatiana Calderon | ROKIT | Speculation | Could replace Bourdais | ||
11 | Charlie Kimball | Tresiba | Speculation | |||
Andretti Autosport |
Honda |
25 | Stefan Wilson | Lohla Sport | Speculation | Indy 500 Only |
26 |
Colton Herta | Gainbridge | Fact | Signed | ||
27 | Alexander Rossi | NAPA and AutoNation | Strong | Signed, but Penske beckons | ||
28 | Romain Grosjean | NAPA and Miami Breeze Car Care | Strong | All but a done deal | ||
29 | Alex Albon | Money from Thailand | Speculation | F1 reserve driver itching for real racing | ||
Arrow McLaren SP | Chevy | 5 | Pato O’Ward | Arrow | Fact | Signed |
7 | Felix Rosenqvist | Arrow | Speculation | Has to step up his game | ||
7 | Nico Hulkenberg | Arrow | Speculation | Eying IndyCar | ||
6 | Juan Montoya | TBD | Speculation | Indy 500 only | ||
Carlin Racing | Chevy | 59 | Max Chilton | Gallagher Insurance | Strong | Likely to re-sign |
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 8 | Marcus Ericsson | Huski Chocolate | Strong | Likely to re-sign |
9 | Scott Dixon | PNC Bank | Fact | Signed | ||
10 | Alex Palou | NTT Data | Fact | Signed | ||
48 | Jimmie Johnson | Carvana | Strong | May run full season | ||
Dale Coyne Racing w/Vasser Sullivan | Honda | 18 | Ed Jones | Sealmaster | Strong | Likely to re-sign or Vasser Sullivan may go with another team |
Dale Coyne Racing w/Rick Ware Racing | Honda | 51 | Romain Grosjean | Miami Breeze Car Care | Speculation | Andretti Bound? |
52 | Ryan Norman | Koinu Inu Cryptro | Speculation | |||
52 | Cody Ware | TBD | Speculation | |||
Dreyer Reinbold | Chevy | 24 | Sage Karam | Wix | Strong | Indy 500 Only |
67 | JR Hildebrand | Salesforce | Strong | Indy 500 Only | ||
Ed Carpenter Racing |
Chevy |
21 | Rinus Veekay | Sonax | Fact | Signed |
20 |
Ed Carpenter | US Space Force | Fact | Ovals Only | ||
Conor Daly | US Air Force | Strong | Likely to re-sign | |||
Meyer Shank Racing | Honda | 60 | Kevin Magnussen | AutoNation and SiriusXM | Speculation | Would Ganassi let him go? |
60 | Kyle Kirkwood | AutoNation and SiriusXM | Strong | Would bring Lights $1 million | ||
06 | Helio Castroneves | TBD | Strong | Likely to re-sign | ||
Paretta Autosport | Chevy | 16 | Simona De Silvestro | Strong | Indy 500 Only | |
Rahal Letterman Lanigan | Honda | 15 | Graham Rahal | United Rentals | Fact | Signed |
30 | Takuma Sato | Panasonic, Mi-Jack | Strong | Likely to re-sign | ||
45 | Antonio Felix da Costa |
TBD | Speculation | |||
Jack Harvey | HyVee | Strong | Leaving MSR | |||
Santino Ferrucci | HyVee | Speculation | ||||
Team Penske | Chevy | 2 | Josef Newgarden | Hitachi | Fact | Signed |
3 | Scott McLaughlin | Shell, PPG | Strong | Penske may send him to IMSA unless he steps up his game | ||
3 or 22 | Alexander Rossi | TBD | Speculation | Depends on what Penske does with McLaughlin and Pagenaud | ||
12 | Will Power | Verizon | Fact | Signed | ||
22 | Simon Pagenaud | Menards | Speculation | IMSA Bound? | ||
Top Gun Racing | Chevy | RC Enerson | US Navy? | Fact | Indy 500 Only? |