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McLaren Racing has re-signed Felix Rosenqvist although it has not yet decided whether he will remain in IndyCar or return to Formula E.
The Swede is in his second season with McLaren SP in IndyCar, a ride about which there had been some doubt as to whether or not he would keep it in 2023.
He has now secured a multi-year deal, the exact length of which has not been specified, but there is still uncertainty about what car he will be driving next year.
McLaren has already renewed Pato O’Ward and landed the services of Andretti Autosport incumbent Alexander Rossi for its IndyCar team, but that still leaves a seat to fill considering the plans to expand the programme to three cars on a full-time basis.
However, the Woking-based organisation also likely has two Formula E entries to find drivers for ahead of its debut season in the all-electric category in 2022/23.
That is because, while it has essentially bought a turnkey operation from Mercedes-Benz, existing steerers Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries are believed to be contracted to the German marque broadly, and the latter had even been linked to the Williams Formula 1 squad last month.
Rosenqvist could therefore be a handy addition to the Formula E team, considering his two full seasons in the category with Mahindra Racing before he switched to IndyCar in 2019.
“I’m delighted to be continuing our relationship with Felix,” said McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown.
“He’s a fantastic racer, with a lot of experience in many different types of racing cars.
“As a proven race winner in both categories, it was important for us to secure his talent within the McLaren Racing family as we work to finalise our plans for 2023.
“His experience in Formula E would be invaluable as we head into this exciting new era of racing for McLaren Racing but he has also made a fantastic contribution to our IndyCar team.
“I look forward to working together with him to finalise the best opportunity for him next season.”
Rosenqvist boasts three race wins in Formula E and one in IndyCar, with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2020, while his best result for McLaren SP was the fourth he scored in last month’s Indianapolis 500.
“I’m delighted to be remaining with McLaren for 2023 and beyond,” said the 30-year-old, who is currently eighth in the standings.
“With the team expanding into Formula E next season, it provides additional opportunities for me both in the USA and Europe and I look forward to being in a position to announce my plans in the coming weeks.
“I’ve loved my time with the Arrow McLaren SP Team in IndyCar driving the #7 car and we’ve had some great moments together, including securing pole earlier this year in Texas and coming home P4 in the Indy 500.
“I’m excited and grateful to be given this opportunity to explore the new options available to utilise my experience to help McLaren start 2023 on the strongest possible footing.”
