The 2025 IndyCar grid features two ex-Formula 1 drivers. Marcus Ericsson will represent Andretti Global, while Alexander Rossi is part of the Ed Carpenter Racing lineup.
Ericsson made his F1 debut in 2014 with the cash-strapped Caterham team, who weren’t able to compete at every race and withdrew at the end of the season. Sauber offered him a lifeline, and he would spend four years with the Swiss outfit, the last of which was alongside Charles Leclerc.
Lesser known is Rossi, who appeared five times for another backmarker – Manor Marussia – in 2015. Romain Grosjean, the biggest former F1 name, is at risk of losing his drive.
The field also features some more recent participants. Pato O’Ward and Robert Shwartzman have both featured in FP1 sessions this year for McLaren and Sauber respectively.
Logan Sargeant recently carried out an IndyCar test after losing his Williams seat to Franco Colapinto. It may be that he continues his racing career in his homeland.
Clearly, the single-seater series offers a new home to drivers shunned by F1. But one of the victims of this year’s F1 driver market isn’t ready to embrace it just yet.
Valtteri Bottas turns down offer from Juncos Hollinger IndyCar team
According to journalist Joe Saward, the Juncos Hollinger team offered Valtteri Bottas a seat for 2025. Brad Hollinger, the co-owner, was a partner at Williams when Bottas raced for the iconic British team.
Bottas will bid farewell to the Sauber team after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the end of next week. They’re going with a brand-new line-up featuring Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, which also leaves Zhou Guanyu without a drive.
However, the Finn rebuffed the IndyCar approach because he’s ‘not yet ready to give up on F1’. He’s ‘expected’ to rejoin Mercedes in a reserve role, which will keep him in the paddock.
Bottas does want to race in some capacity next year. But this could entail one-off appearances rather than a full campaign.
The team who could scupper Valtteri Bottas’ return to Mercedes
Bottas could replace Mick Schumacher within the Mercedes set-up in 2025. Schumacher has also been looking for a route back onto the grid since losing his spot at Haas in 2022 but he may now have to commit to the World Endurance Championship full-time.
There was a boost for Bottas this week with the news that Cadillac have agreed a deal to join the F1 grid in 2026. That will open up two extra spots.
Cadillac may see Bottas as a perfect signing given his impressive statline. His tallies of 10 wins, 20 poles and 67 podiums are largely down to Mercedes’ dominance between 2017 and 2021, but his longevity is impressive – he ranks 14th all-time for Grands Prix entries.
The Race suggest that Cadillac could look to snap up the 35-year-old for next year even though they won’t be on the grid for another 15 months. While this would scupper a Mercedes return, it would also allow him to adapt to his surroundings and aid the team’s development.
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