Christian Lundgaard has performed admirably in IndyCar since making his debut in 2021, and the Dane believes he can be among the very best in certain areas next year.
The Arrow McLaren driver honed his craft on Formula 1 circuits, which gave him the platform to succeed on road courses, notably taking podiums at Barber Motorsports Park and Mid-Ohio earlier this year.
He has also been competitive on street circuits, as Lundgaard won on Toronto’s bumpy streets two years ago. The Dane is currently fourth in the championship standings after a third-place finish at Long Beach this year.
Despite the good form and flurry of podiums this year, Lundgaard conceded he needs to step up on ovals to maximise his potential heading into 2026.
He said via the official IndyCar website: “There’s a foundation being built this year for next year because I really feel like I’m relearning it all.
“Apart from the 10 car, we’ve been the second-best on road courses. We’ve had street races where we struggled but still got good results. If we can complete the oval circle next year and be consistent there, we’re in a title fight.’
Lundgaard: “Scott Dixon is just always there”
“That’s what the 10 car has done this year. Alex had never won an oval, then he won the (Indianapolis) 500, then Iowa. It’s been a complete season for him.
“Scott Dixon is just always there. And I’ve seen everything first-hand from Pato’s performances. There’s very little between us.
“Next year? I don’t think they’ll be ahead. I think they’ll be behind.”
Ovals are vitally important in IndyCar, and they require a different style of driving with the higher risks, as well as managing traffic and dirty air over the race distance.
Lundgaard has driven well on circle tracks in his IndyCar career, taking sixth place in Race 2 at Iowa, but has never taken a podium on an oval.
He will have the opportunity to stand on the podium at an oval for the first time this year as the Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway close the schedule.
Ovals have been challenging to learn for some European drivers, as Palou won his first oval race this year at the Indy 500 despite taking three championships before that.
Taking the final step on ovals could be the final piece of the puzzle for Lundgaard, who is just 13 points behind third-placed Scott Dixon in the standings. The Arrow McLaren driver still has the opportunity to put two McLarens in the top three.
Image credit: Penske Entertainment: Joe Skibinski
