Felix Rosenqvist was employed by Arrow McLaren SP for the 2021 IndyCar season Thursday, and rookie Alex Palou moved to Chip Ganassi Racing to fill Rosenqvist’s seat.

Rosenqvist spent two seasons driving the No. 10 Honda for Ganassi, however his choice was not picked up when Ganassi and the Swede couldn’t agree on a contract restructuring. Arrow McLaren then snagged Rosenqvist after it fired rookie Oliver Askew partly for not disclosing a concussion he suffered in an August crash.

Rosenqvist, 28, can be teamed with Pato O’Ward, who completed fourth within the standings in his first full season of IndyCar.

“It is not fairly often that you simply get the chance to mix two younger, established skills like Pato and Felix,” McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown stated. “I believe this pairing offers us a powerful driver lineup and I am excited to see what they’ll do collectively on and off the observe.”

Rosenqvist gained the primary IndyCar race of his profession this season and completed eleventh within the last standings. He ranked sixth a yr in the past as a rookie.

Palou, in the meantime, slides into Rosenqvist’s seat in a large improve after a rookie season with Dale Coyne Racing. The 23-year-old Spaniard was sixteenth within the last IndyCar standings with one podium end.

Palou subsequent yr can be teammates with six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, former Formulation One driver Marcus Ericsson and seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, who can be labeled as a rookie.

“To say I am thrilled or excited to be making this step in my profession could be an understatement,” Palou stated. “Driving for Chip Ganassi is only a dream come true. I’ve adopted the staff for so long as I can keep in mind, and it is the type of staff and proprietor any driver would wish to race for.”