Santino Ferrucci will return to IndyCar racing full-time next season in AJ Foyt’s flagship car after two seasons as a substitute driver for other teams.
AJ Foyt Racing said Thursday that Ferrucci will drive the No. 14 Chevrolet, which is located out of Foyt’s headquarters in Waller, Texas. Ferrucci recently moved to Texas.
Last week, the team signed Indy Lights driver Benjamin Pedersen for its second car, which leaves Indianapolis. Team president Larry Foyt did not assign Pederson a car number as it is unclear if Dalton Kellett will return next year.
Ferrucci has started in eight IndyCar races over the past two seasons, including once as an emergency replacement for Jack Harvey at Texas Motor Speedway when Harvey suffered a concussion in a practice crash. He was also Team Penske’s reserve driver in July at Indianapolis in case Josef Newgarden was not cleared to compete.
“Being a part-time driver for the last two years has been difficult for me personally,” the 24-year-old Ferrucci said. “I am a racing driver and I want to compete. Working with different teams has been exciting and I am proud that no matter what car I have raced in, I have always shown speed and consistency.
“I couldn’t be more excited to join AJ Foyt Racing in the 14 Chevy. I can’t wait to get the most out of it.”
Ferrucci drove last season for Rahal Letterman Lanigan, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and Juncos Hollinger Racing, with a best finish of ninth at Texas. The year before, he was sixth in the Indianapolis 500 while driving for Rahal.
Ferrucci finished a career-best fourth at the Indy 500 in 2020 when he drove for Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan.
Larry Foyt said he consulted with his father, a four-time Indy 500 winner, about adding Ferrucci, and AJ Foyt said he liked Ferrucci’s attitude.
“He’s shown a knack for getting to the front of the field, and I think he’s a runner who steps up on race day,” Larry Foyt said. “AJ sees the fire in him and has enjoyed their meetings together. I think Santino’s experience will also help his rookie teammate, so he’s a great addition to our roster.”
Ferrucci is a Connecticut native who initially pursued a career in European racing. He moved abroad when he was 14 years old and competed in various junior classes and holds the record for the youngest winner of the British Formula 3 Series at 16 years old. Ferrucci also raced in Formula 2 and was a Haas F1 development driver from 2017-2018.
“IndyCar became my goal after I left F1 in 2018,” said Ferrucci. “I instantly fell in love with the cars, the racing style and the people. That’s when I knew IndyCar needed to be my new home.”
Ferrucci won the 2019 rookie of the year award in his first full season behind the wheel of Coyne. He has never finished outside the top 10 in four Indy 500 races.
While looking for a full-time job over the past two years, Ferrucci made nine NASCAR Xfinity Series starts for Sam Hunt Racing. He finished a career-best 13th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the second NASCAR race of his career.
“I’ve driven everything from off-road cars to stock cars to go-karts to Indy cars to F1 cars, and driving Indy cars demands a unique driving style,” Ferrucci said. “It’s definitely the kind of car where discomfort is fast, and it’s very hard to get comfortable with discomfort.”
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