MOORESVILLE, N.C. – In his rookie season with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Christian Lundgaard has become IndyCar’s “Great Dane.”
Hot off a dramatically improved performance for the past 1-1/2 months, the 21-year-old has been rewarded with a long-term contract extension with the NTT IndyCar Series team.
“I have to say a big thanks to Bobby Rahal, David Letterman and Mike Lanigan for giving me this opportunity to extend my time with the team,” Lundgaard said. “We’ve had some good results lately and I’m sure this has also helped their decision. First of all, I’m just happy and super excited that they gave me this opportunity.
“A year ago at the Grand Prix (at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in August), we qualified well and they decided that they wanted me for a full season and we made the most of the opportunity so far. I’m sure there are times when we could have performed better but now, we have the opportunity to continue this progress.
“We’ve been to a lot of tracks so far and have come back to some and finished on the podium, which I hope to continue. Qualifying third in Nashville was a big milestone for me. Making the Fast Six – and not being at the end of the Fast Six but actually having a shot at competing for the pole – was a great experience for me. We didn’t quite finish where we wanted but it was good to have that experience and now everyone is making the most of it. I’m happy for everyone at the team, my family and the sponsors and investors, everyone that has made this possible.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to build momentum.”
Lundgaard has momentum on his side heading into the final three races of the season. He earned an IndyCar career-best finish of second place at the Gallagher Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 30 and earned his highest series start of third place at the Music City Grand Prix in Nashville on August 6. He leads the IndyCar Rookie of the Year standings with 272 points to second-place David Malukas, who has 231.
“I am so pleased with Christian’s progress with the team and within the series,” said team co-owner Bobby Rahal. “He has shown that he can be a force to be reckoned with in these races. He works well within the team, and we are pleased that we are continuing for the next several years because I believe he will continue to improve and be a potential winner in the very near future.”
Team co-owner Michael Lanigan negotiated the new deal with Lundgaard.
“Christian has done a great job acclimatizing to the variety of challenges and new experiences this season,” Lanigan said. “His approach and professionalism continues to impress us and his performance, especially in the second half of the season, speaks volumes about his potential. We are very happy to have him as part of the team for the years ahead.”
The 21-year-old from Hedensted, Denmark, came to the IndyCar Series after competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, the primary Formula 1 support series, from 2020-2021.
Lundgaard was a member of the Alpine Academy, having joined the program in 2017 following an impressive career in European and World Karting Championships. Christian’s first year in single-seaters led to two Formula 4 titles – NEZ and Spanish – before he finished runner-up in the 2018 Formula Renault Eurocup as a rookie.
In 2019, Christian stepped up to Formula 3, finishing sixth, before progressing to Formula 2 the following season.
In his first year in Formula 2 in 2020, he won two races and backed that up the following year with three podiums. He finished second in Race 2 at the season opener in Bahrain before claiming third place in Race 1 in Great Britain in July.
After his debut in IndyCar, he made a sensational charge from 19th on the grid to finish third in Monza in Race 1. He tested the R.S.18 on one occasion in 2021 at Silverstone.