The Race IndyCar Podcast returns with Marcus Ericsson discussing his big Andretti move and driving the new hybrid system on an oval, while late-season standout Juri Vips also joins the show.
Ericsson explains how his strengths could help Andretti’s perceived weak point, what it meant to had five offers on the table for his services after years of having to bring his own budget, how Andretti’s all-star line-up will gel and what they might achieve in the 2024 season.
He also reveals he'd offered his help to Andretti’s Formula 1 efforts, and provides a brilliant behind-the-visor insight into what IndyCar’s new hybrid package is like at 240mph on the Indianapolis oval as the system is experimented with ahead of its 2024 introduction.
Meanwhile, Vips, who had raced the last two events of the IndyCar season, discusses his transition from Formula 2, his stunning Laguna Seca qualifying performance and being thrust into a battle for nearly $1 million in the championship.
He also talks about how he hopes to use and learn from the second chance he has been given after a using a racial slur in 2022 stagnated his career path and led to an exit from Red Bull junior programme, meaning the Portland IndyCar race was his first in a year.
Adrian Newey had emailed Rahal a reference for Vips - something the Estonian learns of on the podcast - so he certainly came with strong support. His chances of returning next year are also weighed up.
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