Christian Lundgaard is beginning his fourth full season driving in the NTT IndyCar Series, and still greatly enjoys the pure racing aspect of the American series.
Before he sampled IndyCar racing for himself in a one-off race in 2021, Lundgaard advanced through the European formula ladder.
He climbed all the way to Formula 2 before finding the barrier into the top level of international motorsports too great to overcome.
Once the Danish driver came stateside and saw for himself what open wheel racing in America was like, he immediately saw that the raw components of motor racing are still in the forefront.
“Absolutely,” replied Lundgaard when asked if IndyCar feels like home. “It did from day one.
“I don’t really think this has really come out, even though I know I’ve said it multiple times before: IndyCar reminds me of go-karts, which is what I fell in love with in the sport.
“It’s the atmosphere, the way everything works around. It’s more – it’s about the racing rather than everything else. Yes, everything else comes with it, but it’s ultimately whoever finishes and crosses the start-finish line first is who wins. It’s just pure racing.”
New year, New team
Lundgaard spent the first three seasons driving for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, earning a few podiums and a single victory in Toronto during his three-year stint.
For 2025, he joins Arrow McLaren and is looking to improve his performance by taking cues from standout driver and new team-mate Pato O’Ward.
And he’s not willing to let himself complete half the season before showing off those improvements.
“I think what Arrow McLaren and Pato did through the 2024 season, especially in Mid-Ohio with the hybrid being introduced, being the first winner also showed me that they’re up for the challenge and they’re ahead of everybody else.
“For me going into this season, [the goal is] not to take the first couple of races getting up to speed. We want to be ready to fight for podiums and wins from the get-go.
“At the end of the day, I want to win all races. We all do. But I think by doing that, you have to be competitive in every single event and put yourself in the best position to have a good result.”
