Christian Lundgaard finally gets IndyCar redemption after three-year wait

There was a sense of relief on the face of Christian Lundgaard after winning Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

It was a feeling of a breakthrough victory despite the fact he took his first (and until yesterday only) career win on the Streets of Toronto in 2023 while driving for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL).

This victory, 47 starts later, is his first since joining Arrow McLaren ahead of the 2025 season. Since moving teams, he's taken eight podiums, including four runner-ups, in the previous 22 races.

Lundgaard earned it in style, with a stellar outside pass in Turn 4 on Team Penske’s David Malukas on Lap 68 of 85, potentially lifting an invisible weight from Lundgaard’s shoulders. Additionally, though, there’s extra satisfaction it came at the 14-turn, 2.439-mile circuit where he burst on the scene in his debut in a one-off effort with RLL in 2021.

“Yeah, I think, first of all, it's a lot of unfinished business for me around here,” said Lundgaard, 24.

“Obviously being competitive here pretty much every year except last year, and I really wanted to get some redemption for that. We worked hard to try to figure out where we really went wrong last year.

“I think we obviously did, but I mean, it just feels awesome. I hope that it doesn't take another three years for another one, right?”

Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren

Arrow McLaren Team Principal Tony Kanaan was quick to let him, and everyone in the IMS press room know, “It won’t.”

Despite such a routinely strong presence on road and street courses throughout his career, it was shocking the Dane didn’t have visions of winning, especially considering he put forth his first Fast Six appearance of the season and qualified fourth.

“It really wasn't what I expected waking up this morning,” said Lundgaard, who led 20 laps on the day.”

Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, Caio Collet, A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank w/ Curb-Agajanian, Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren

Lundgaard also admitted the team had to call an audible after the opening lap incident in Turn 1, which saw teammate Pato O'Ward, who started ahead of him in second, hit and spun after contact by Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist.

“I felt so bad for Pato, because we had such a good plan planned for how we were going to attack the race between the two of us,” Lundgaard said.

“We had two cars in the front, and we knew the #10 car (Alex Palou) was going to be strong. Obviously having one car left up there, but also losing positions kind of hurt a little bit. For me it was just take my race as it was from there. Then the strategy didn't work out for them.”