"They might even do it NASCAR-style": When Andretti driver Marcus Ericsson urged IndyCar to take notes after critical decision making flaw

Marcus Ericsson came into the 2023 Indy 500 as the winner of the 2022 race. The Swede finished the race in P2 after an enthralling final couple of laps of racing with Josef Newgarden. However, Ericsson reflected on the 2023 race before the 2024 Indy 500 as he urged IndyCar to learn from the mistakes made during the 107th running of the greatest spectacle in racing.

Ericsson finished less than a tenth behind the 2023 Indy 500 winner Newgarden. However, a couple of laps before the checkered flag came out, it was the former F1 driver who was in the lead. But the decision made by the race officials meant Ericsson was at a disadvantage in the final few laps.

“They might even do it NASCAR-style and add a couple laps,” Marcus Ericsson said (via IndyStar).

Pato O'Ward crashed into the wall as he attempted to repass Newgarden and Ericsson on Lap 193, which led to a yellow flag that eventually converted into a Red Flag. The race was restarted but another pileup on the main straight just as Ericsson passed Newgarden meant there was another Red Flag.

The Red Flag came out with just two laps to go during the 2023 Indy 500. The field was reset with Ericsson in P1 and Newgarden directly behind him, and it put the Swedish driver at a disadvantage as the Team Penske driver just bided his time.

Newgarden made the move on the last lap as he used the slipstream to pass Ericsson on the back straight and then defended by weaving down the main straight to the checkered flag. It was the closest Indy 500 finish of the current decade as the Team Penske driver won by just 0.0974 seconds.

Marcus Ericsson, who lost the race because of the stewards' decision, therefore suggested that the officials could've added a couple more laps like they do in NASCAR, or finished the race under a yellow flag. Nonetheless, when asked about the reason behind stewards’ decision, he added:

“The explanation is that in the last 15 laps, all bets are off. Whatever they want to do, they can do. That’s what they’re saying.”

Ericsson could've become the first driver in a couple of decades to win back-to-back races at the greatest spectacle in racing. Instead, the opportunity was snatched by Newgarden, who then also won the Indy 500 in 2024.

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“I need to perform”: Marcus Ericsson reflected on subpar 2024 IndyCar season

Marcus Ericsson - Bommarito Automotive Group 500 - Source: Getty

Marcus Ericsson sat down with The Race for an Interview with just a little over a month until the 2025 IndyCar season begins. He reflected on his 2024 performances and suggested that he needs to do better in the upcoming season.

“I can't have a year like that again, that's not the way I need to perform. On a personal side, one thing that was clear when we did analysis after the season is that we were by far the biggest sort of outlier if you look at championship position and average pace during the season.”

“On average race pace, I had the eighth-best average race pace in the field, and I finished 15th in the championship,” he added.

Ericsson retired from six of the 17 races during the 2024 IndyCar season and only managed to put his car in the top five on four occasions. The 2025 IndyCar season begins on March 2nd at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix.