The Swede’s victory in St. Petersburg on Sunday was no fluke, and he’s ready to do it again.

The NTT Indycar Series field should fear the #8 Chip Ganassi Racing Huski Chocolate Honda in 2023.

Before 2023 kicked off, a plethora of Indycar reporters put together a list of drivers with championship winning credentials. No driver has won the Indycar title from outside of Chip Ganassi Racing and Team Penske since Ryan Hunter-Reay did for Andretti Autosport back in 2012. 

So, when the reporters penned their predictions, their lists looked a little something like this: 

Names like Pato O’Ward and Colton Herta were also thrown around. But there was one clear outlier. 

Marcus Ericsson. 

He barely featured in any articles surrounding title contention. I saw some which had him on the fringes of the top 10. Nothing of substance. 

Whilst this is not necessarily a bad thing, it does highlight something key. Ericsson’s championship charge must be taken seriously in 2023, because underestimating his skills is the worst thing that any driver, team or pundit could do. 

The right place at the right time

‘To finish first, first you have to finish’ 

All of Ericsson’s Indycar race wins have come following red flag periods. His maiden win in Detroit saw him chase down Will Power in the closing laps, only for Power’s car to not re-fire after the session suspension was over. 

However, in order to benefit, Ericsson had to be in second in the first place. When others around him begin to lose their heads, Marcus Ericsson is the perfect driver for the situation. His cool demeanour and unfazed personality stand him in good stead for occasions like this, as the Swede thrives in such situations.

His win in Nashville in 2021 was similar. There were nine caution periods in the race, and although he was caught up in a remarkable incident with Sebastian Bourdais, Ericsson kept his head, served his penalty, had his car repaired, and went on to win.

St. Pete in 2023 was a culmination of all these factors. It was Ericsson in the right place at the right time to capitalise on the carnage around him. He was the one who carved his way through the chaos. If you combine that with his prowess on ovals, and his remarkable consistency, there is a very strong chance that he will be in the driving seat come Laguna Seca at the end of the season.

Some underestimate him by saying fortune favoured him. However, I would argue that you make your own luck. Ericsson put himself into those positions. He made himself the beneficiary.

In order to grab the Astro cup, there are course improvements that can be made. The weakness has been qualifying, and he holds in interesting record in Indycar that when he qualifies on the second row, he performs brilliantly. Two wins, and two second place finishes have come from being sat just behind the leaders when the grid forms up.

More consistent qualifying positions will provide better results, and should these qualifying performances come to fruition, he will be on course for a great year. 

But it is not the first time we have seen Ericsson pull together a long stretch of perfection…

Ericsson’s ultimate month – the 2022 Indianapolis 500

Ericsson is no stranger to being quietly efficient, and wildly underestimated. Once again, he went under the radar throughout the course of May 2022. That being said, it may be difficult to stand out from your Chip Ganassi Racing team mates when they consist of Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Tony Kanaan (2013 Indy500 champion) and Jimmie Johnson (7 time NASCAR Cup series champion).

He did not put that car on the second row of the grid by fluke. Once again, however, his efforts went virtually unnoticed . All the talk post qualifying was on Dixon’s mightily impressive pole run, and Palou’s second place. 

That did not phase the Swede, and on race day he quickly got into his rhythm. Going from fifth to fourth round the outside of Ed Carpenter in turn 1 on the opening lap was impressive, but unmentioned throughout the broadcast. 

During a caution period on lap 110 of the Indy 500, Ericsson lost a few spots on pit road. There was no need to panic, he kept his head to calmly move his way back up to his customary fourth place until it was time to strike. 

Scott Dixon dominated the race, but was caught out after going a fraction too fast into the pits for his last stop. Ericsson was one of the beneficiaries. 

He took the lead with 18 laps to go, and then dramatically built up a huge lead over the rest of the pack. Even then the talk was not on the Huski Chocolate Honda. The talk was on whether Kanaan would catch him before the chequered flag at 500 miles. 

Johnson crashed with just a handful of laps to go. Some would have crumbled under the pressure. He had to control the restart with two laps of green flag action remaining to decide the biggest race in the world. Instead of cracking, Ericsson pulled off a defensive masterclass to deny O’Ward. 

Ericsson won out in the largest motorsport event in the world, in the most dramatic fashion, and took the lead of the championship. It only fell out of his grasp after some tough luck on road courses and short track ovals in late summer.

He managed this over a whole month. I believe he can do it for a whole year. He has the speed and the temperament.

This year, there is a strong chance that he goes all the way.