INDIANAPOLIS — Few drivers have skilled a much bigger enhance from successful the Indianapolis 500 than Marcus Ericsson, who has turned final 12 months’s victory right into a life-changing occasion.

Not solely did it resurrect the Swedish driver’s profession, which had stalled after 5 seasons in Components One, it additionally made Ericsson a bona fide famous person in each his native nation and adopted hometown of Indianapolis.

However as Ericsson makes an attempt to turn out to be the primary back-to-back winner of the Indy 500 since Helio Castroneves 21 years in the past, he does so with out a contract in place for subsequent 12 months. It is a maddening scenario for Ericsson, who has been clear he needs to stay with Chip Ganassi Racing however has a telephone ringing with choices from rival groups.

At difficulty is that Ericsson’s seat at Ganassi is funded by a sponsor he dropped at the crew together with help from Swedish billionaire Finn Rausing, who has lengthy backed Ericsson’s profession. Primarily, Ericsson pays to drive the No. 8 automotive — a slight he made clear moments after successful the Indy 500 final 12 months, when one in all his first remarks was “not unhealthy for a pay driver.”

Ganassi holds unique negotiating rights with Ericsson till August, when the driving force can formally discuss to different groups, in order that has given him time to listen to what others within the paddock should say.

“I’ve observed my telephone being fairly busy the previous few months and groups being fairly fascinated with my future. That is undoubtedly a brand new factor for me. It looks like individuals are taking discover and score me as a driver, and that feels nice,” Ericsson stated. “I’ve nice help from Sweden and my backers and sponsors and every little thing, and I’ve had that every one my profession and I am very, very grateful of that.

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“However I really feel the place I’m now in my profession, and what I’ve achieved, that should not be like, the rationale why I am employed. I believe what’s necessary for me is I must be employed for the abilities I’ve as a driver, and never for the potential sponsor I can convey or not convey to the crew.”

Ericsson’s contract standing is among the many greatest speaking factors heading into this weekend’s Indy 500 qualifying.

For the second 12 months in a row, the Ganassi lineup has proven it’s the strongest crew by means of the opening apply rounds, with Ericsson the quickest on the pace chart Thursday and logging the quickest lap with out an aerodynamic tow from one other automotive.

However when Ganassi confirmed up for his annual media briefing historically held on “Quick Friday,” the contract standing of Ericsson was nearly the very last thing the crew proprietor needed to debate.

“Yeah, I need him to remain. Yeah, I am working onerous to do it,” Ganassi stated. “I am not a giant man to be speaking about our offers or our contracts or something, however Marcus has a giant future within the sport and I need it to be on this crew, certain.”

Urgent him yielded little extra data, and Ganassi appeared to develop aggravated by the road of questioning, whilst Ericsson sat stone-faced two seats over.

“We simply have to finalize some sponsorship, and away we go,” Ganassi stated.

However is he ready to lose Ericsson on the finish of the season? Alex Palou, the 2021 IndyCar Sequence champion, is already set to depart Ganassi’s No. 10 automotive for McLaren Racing.

“We’re specializing in at the moment proper now, OK? I am not right here to speak about my drivers and their contracts. I am right here to speak about Quick Friday and qualifying on Saturday and Sunday,” Ganassi stated. “All of the drivers are valued items of the crew, and I need all of them right here at the moment, I need them right here tomorrow, I need them right here subsequent week, I need them right here subsequent 12 months.”

That leaves a tough scenario for Ericsson, who used final 12 months’s Indy 500 win to problem for the IndyCar title. He received this 12 months’s season opener, was the IndyCar factors chief after three of the primary 5 races and has proven the pace to seize a second consecutive win in “The Best Spectacle in Racing.”

Regardless of his IndyCar success and 5 seasons in F1, Ericsson has by no means been a extremely compensated driver. He additionally turns 33 in September and figures that is his final alternative to signal a profitable contract.

So he needs to be paid within the seven-figure vary, identical to teammate Scott Dixon or Josef Newgarden and Colton Herta on different groups. None of them convey sponsorship to their race crew, and lots of imagine that Herta, who completed tenth within the IndyCar standings final 12 months, turned the highest-paid driver on the grid when he signed an offseason extension at Andretti Autosport.

Not having a deal executed for 2024 has pissed off Ericsson, however he insisted it will not detract from his aim of successful the Indy 500 once more.

“It might have been good to have them labored out earlier than already now clearly, however that is not been the case,” he stated. “I simply should deal with delivering on observe. I really feel I’ve executed a powerful begin to the 12 months, and that ought to hopefully assist my case. I am not harassed about it. I really feel there’s a variety of groups if Chip is just not.”