---
title: "How Marcus Ericsson Swerved From Formula One to IndyCar"
description: "It's cheaper, but is it easier?"
date: "2019-03-08"
modified: "2019-03-09"
authors:
  - name: "Mike Spinelli"
    job_title: "VP of Content"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/mike-spinelli"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/26852/how-marcus-ericsson-swerved-from-formula-one-to-indycar"
categories:
  - "Culture"
  - "F1"
  - "News"
  - "People"
  - "Racing"
tags:
  - "indycar"
  - "Marcus Ericsson"
---

# How Marcus Ericsson Swerved From Formula One to IndyCar

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2019/03/marcus_ericsson_indycar_test.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Marcus Ericsson is only the latest [Formula One](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/26457/absolutely-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2019-formula-1-season>) veteran entering the IndyCar field, making the transition from the big-money, highly technical, and massively adjustable F1 to the more standardized, more raucous, and yes, more economical world of IndyCar. What are the [differences in driving style](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/25745/a-track-comparo-pits-nascar-against-indycar-who-wins>) he had to adopt, how did his training regimen change to meet the new physical demands of IndyCar, and how did eating more hamburgers and being Swedish help him adapt? And does that [14 second deficit](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/26481/indycar-14-seconds-slower-per-lap-than-formula-1-around-circuit-of-the-americas>) tell the whole story?

The 28-year-old Swede joined Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports-Honda this past October, filling a seat previously occupied by driver Robert Wickens, who was injured in a crash this past August. He's partnering with James Hinchcliffe on a freshly financed Arrow SPM team looking to make its mark against the big three: Penske, Ganassi, and Andretti. After a few of months of testing, Ericsson will make his IndyCar debut this weekend at the [Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg](<https://www.indycar.com/Schedule/2019/IndyCar-Series/St-Petersburg>).

A month since [we last spoke to Ericsson](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/26079/a-minute-with-marcus-ericsson-indycars-freshest-rookie-from-the-world-of-f1>), he stopped by *The Drive*’s [new studios at The Classic Car Club Manhattan](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/26127/alex-zanardi-is-the-inspirational-racing-driver-motorsports-deserves>) to fill us in on his transition between the high-downforce, minutely adjustable world of F1 to IndyCar, with its wheel-to-wheel craziness on road and street courses, and on the ovals—including the Indy 500—which are all new to him.

## Author
A sucker for Ford-era Jaguar XJs and glitchy, early-90s BMW V12s, Mike was the founding editor of car culture site Jalopnik, and a former editor-in-chief of 0-60. He's also a co-host of the TV show /DRIVE on NBC Sports, which can be seen from time to time on NBCSN, usually after midnight.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/mikespinelli>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/mikespin>)