It was announced this morning that despite a long-term offer to stay with Ganassi, Dixon would be leaving at the season’s end, understood to be bound for McLaren.
While remaining competitive in recent years, Dixon has endured a rocky start to the 2026 season with only five top 10 finishes in 10 races thus far.
Dixon sits 10th in the championship standings with eight races remaining, while teammate Alex Palou leads the way.
“You always want to be competitive, the fire still burns really strong,” Dixon said.
“I think change is inevitable at some point and all I can really say is that I have a lot of fantastic memories with this team and everybody there is like family.
“It definitely wasn’t a decision taken lightly, it’s just time for change and we’ll see what happens in due course.”
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Dixon noted the difficulty of parting ways with Ganassi, whom he described as a “good friend” and said “I’d like to call him family”.
“Ultimately, I think this whole kind of situation, through the chats and all that kind of stuff, [Chip] has been nothing but professional and a good friend,” Dixon said.
“We’ve had a pretty open dialogue on what’s happening throughout the process, I guess on the unfortunate side, it was just time for change.
While details of CGR’s offer to Dixon are not known, the Kiwi remains adamant that it is not the reason behind the departure.
“It was just looking at some different stuff, maybe a change of scenery,” Dixon added.
“Trust me, their option was fantastic and with Chip, it’s always been a sound situation and a fantastic team to be a part of.
“Like I said earlier, this team feels like family and it’s not an easy decision.”
IndyCar returns this weekend for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid Ohio, of which Dixon is the reigning winner.
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