Christian Lundgaard (born 23 July 2001) is a
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
professional racing driver who is driving the No. 45
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
for
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is an auto racing team that has participated in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the IndyCar Series. Headquartered in Brownsburg, Indiana and Hilliard, Ohio, it is co-owned by 1986 Indianapolis 500 ...
in the
IndyCar Series
The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices o ...
. He was the
2022 IndyCar Series
The 2022 NTT IndyCar Series was the 111th official championship season of American open wheel racing and the 27th season under IndyCar Series sanction. The showcase event was the 2022 Indianapolis 500. It was the third year under Penske mana ...
Rookie of the Year, and was a member of the
Alpine Academy
The Alpine Academy – formerly known as the RF1 Driver Programme, Renault Driver Development and Renault Sport Academy – is a program to support young racing drivers through their careers. The programme was created by Renault F1 in 2002.
In ...
from 2017 until 2022.
Lundgaard began his single-seater career in 2017, where he won the
F4 Spanish and
SMP F4 Championship
The SMP F4 Championship (also known as the F4 NEZ Championship by SMP Racing) was a racing series regulated according to FIA Formula 4 regulations. It was based in the FIA's North European Zone and the Netherlands, and was only open to drivers fr ...
in his debut year. In 2018, he made a move to the
Formula Renault Eurocup
Formula Renault Eurocup was a Formula Renault motor racing championship. Eurocup raced only on European circuits.
It served as a support series to the Formula Renault 3.5 Series as part of the World Series by Renault from 2005 to 2015. Renault ...
, where he placed runner-up to
Max Fewtrell. He secured a promotion to
ART Grand Prix
ART Grand Prix is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. In 2012, it competed in the GP2 Series and GP3 Series as Lotus GP to reflect sponsorship from British sports and racing car manufacturer Lotus. The ...
in the
2019 FIA Formula 3 Championship
The 2019 FIA Formula 3 Championship was the inaugural season of the FIA Formula 3 Championship, a multi-event motor racing championship for single-seat open-wheel formula racing cars. The championship featured drivers competing in 3.4-litre ...
where he ended 6th. Lundgaard continued with ART Grand Prix for the
2020 Formula 2 Championship
The 2020 FIA Formula 2 Championship was a motor racing championship for Formula 2 cars, sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship was the fifty-fourth season of Formula 2 racing and the fourth seas ...
and took two wins to place 7th overall. However, a poor
2021 season saw him make a switch to IndyCar for 2022.
Junior career
Karting
Lundgaard began karting professionally in 2012. He competed all across Europe and collected three major titles along the way, including the
2015 CIK-FIA Karting European Championship. In December 2016, Lundgaard was ranked fifth on a list compiled by
Motorsport.com of the top ten karting drivers with future potential.
Lower formulae
In 2017, Lundgaard made his single-seater debut in the
SMP F4 and
Spanish F4 championships with
MP Motorsport
MP Motorsport (previously Marcel Peters Motorsport) is a Dutch auto racing team currently competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship. The team has also participated in Auto GP, Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula Renault 2.0 Northern Europea ...
, at the age of 15. In SMP F4, he claimed nine victories, seven pole positions and ten fastest laps and claimed the championship with one round to go. In the Spanish F4 Championship, Lundgaard won six races, including all the races at
Aragón
Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises th ...
to become champion.
Formula Renault Eurocup
In 2018, after testing with them at the post-season test, Lundgaard reunited with
MP Motorsport
MP Motorsport (previously Marcel Peters Motorsport) is a Dutch auto racing team currently competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship. The team has also participated in Auto GP, Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula Renault 2.0 Northern Europea ...
for the
Eurocup championship.
His first podium of the season came with a third place during the second race at
Paul Ricard
Paul Louis Marius Ricard (; July 9, 1909 – November 7, 1997) was a French industrialist and creator of an eponymous pastis brand which merged in 1975 with its competitor Pernod to create Pernod Ricard. Ricard was also an environmentalist and t ...
. His win would not be too far away, as he took his first victory in the series during the next round at
Monza, defended from
Lorenzo Colombo and duly taking the lead of the championship. A retirement and four consecutive fifth-placed finishes followed, before he was back on the podium during the second race at the
Red Bull Ring. The next round at
Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), frequently referred to as ''Spa'', is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has he ...
, saw Lundgaard win the first race and take the Eurocup lead. A double podium including a win at the
Hungaroring
The Hungaroring is a motorsport racetrack in Mogyoród, Pest County, Hungary where the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix is held. In 1986, it became the location of the first Formula One Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtain. Bernie Ecclestone w ...
saw him into serious championship contention. However, a double retirement at the
Hockenheimring left his championship chances dented and trailing leader and fellow
Renault junior Max Fewtrell by 36.5 points heading into the final round. Despite "taking more risk" to claim a win and a second place at the final round in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, he was unable to overhaul the points tally of Fewtrell, leaving the British driver to be crowned champion by 17.5 points. In an article by
Motorsport.com, Lundgaard was ranked 13th of their top 20 junior drivers in 2018.
GP3 Series
In June 2018, Lundgaard joined MP for the third round of the
2018 championship at
Paul Ricard
Paul Louis Marius Ricard (; July 9, 1909 – November 7, 1997) was a French industrialist and creator of an eponymous pastis brand which merged in 1975 with its competitor Pernod to create Pernod Ricard. Ricard was also an environmentalist and t ...
. In December, he returned for the final post-season test, driving for
ART Grand Prix
ART Grand Prix is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. In 2012, it competed in the GP2 Series and GP3 Series as Lotus GP to reflect sponsorship from British sports and racing car manufacturer Lotus. The ...
.
FIA Formula 3 Championship
![FIA F3 Austria 2019 Nr](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/FIA_F3_Austria_2019_Nr._3_Lundgaard_1.jpg)
Following his success in Formula Renault, Lundgaard was linked with a seat at
ART Grand Prix
ART Grand Prix is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. In 2012, it competed in the GP2 Series and GP3 Series as Lotus GP to reflect sponsorship from British sports and racing car manufacturer Lotus. The ...
for the
inaugural
In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inaugur ...
FIA Formula 3 Championship
The FIA Formula 3 Championship is a third-tier international single-seater racing championship and organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship launched in 2019 as a feeder series for the FIA Formula 1 W ...
. In January 2019, the French outfit confirmed Lundgaard would race with them, alongside
Eurocup rival
Max Fewtrell and
David Beckmann. Before the season, Lundgaard competed in the last round of the
Asian F3 Winter series.
During the
first round at Barcelona, Lundgaard qualified second for his first race. He passed polesitter
Robert Shwartzman
Robert Mikhailovich Shwartzman ( rus, Ро́берт Миха́йлович Шва́рцман, p=ˈrobʲɪrt mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ ˈʂvartsmɐn, he, רוברט מיכאילוביץ' שוורצמן; born 16 September 1999) is a Russian-Israeli ...
at the start and never looked back to win the race, but was demoted five seconds for exceeding the
virtual safety car delta. Nevertheless, it was his first podium in Formula 3. He followed it up with sixth in Race 2. The next two rounds were poor for Lundgaard, he retired in the first race at
Le Castellet due to a broken suspension, but recovered to 15th the next day. At
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, Lundgaard qualified fifth but was disqualified from qualifying due to a physio issue. Contact with
Ye Yifei saw him only finish 26th in the first race, and climbed to 17th in the second.
In
Silverstone, Lundgaard started fourth in Race 1 and passed
Marcus Armstrong at the start but would eventually fall to seventh. Starting second in Race 2, he was passed by both
Pedro Piquet
Pedro Estácio Leão Piquet Souto Maior (born 3 July 1998) is a Brazilian former racing driver. He is the son of three-time Formula One world champion Nelson Piquet and younger half brother of Formula E champion Nelson Piquet Jr. He is known for ...
and
Leonardo Pulcini
Leonardo Pulcini (born 25 June 1998, in Rome) is an Italian racing driver and the 2016 Euroformula Open champion.
Career
Karting
Born in Rome, Pulcini began karting professionally in 2012 and came second in the CIK-FIA KF Junior championship a ...
on the final lap. Lundgaard lost more positions but benefitted from a collision in the end to secure fifth place. In the
Hungaroring
The Hungaroring is a motorsport racetrack in Mogyoród, Pest County, Hungary where the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix is held. In 1986, it became the location of the first Formula One Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtain. Bernie Ecclestone w ...
, Lundgaard had a breakthrough weekend, topping practice and then later taking his first ever F3 pole. He had a dominant race and led teammate Fewtrell home to take his win in the series. In Race 2, he claimed fifth place, which kept him in championship contention. In
Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), frequently referred to as ''Spa'', is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has he ...
, Lundgaard qualified all the way down in 13th, but finished fourth in both races.
In
Monza, Lundgaard took his second pole of the year. He would not score any more points for the rest of the season. In Race 1, Lundgaard was overtaken by
Lirim Zendeli at the start of the race. However, on lap 3 he made contact with Zendeli, which damaged Lundgaard's front wing. He pitted for a front wing change and finished 13th. In Race 2, Lundgaard progressed to ninth place, missing out on a point. In
Sochi, Lundgaard qualified fifth, but was hit at the back by
Jüri Vips
Jüri Vips (born 10 August 2000) is an Estonian professional racing driver, currently competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship with Hitech Grand Prix. He is the 2017 ADAC Formula 4 champion, and formerly a member of the Red Bull Junior Team. ...
and fell near the back. He improve to finish 14th, and then in Race 2 finished tenth. Lundgaard ended the championship in 6th place with 97 points, as the leading ART Grand Prix driver. He scored a win and another podium during the season. Lundgaard then took part in post-season testing in October, where he topped the first and second days.
![Christian Lundgaard Macau 2019](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Christian_Lundgaard_Macau_2019.jpg)
Lundgaard reunited with ART to contest the
Macau Grand Prix
The Macau Grand Prix ( pt, Grande Prémio de Macau; ) is a motorsport road race for automobiles and motorcycles held annually in Macau. It is the only street circuit racing event in which both cars and motorcycles participate, and one of onl ...
, which saw him finish third in the qualification race and fourth in the main event.
FIA Formula 2 Championship
2019
In November 2019, it was announced Lundgaard would partake in the
season finale
A season finale (British English: last in the series; Australian English: season final) is the final episode of a season of a television program. This is often the final episode to be produced for a few months or longer, and, as such, will try ...
at
Yas Marina with
Trident
A trident is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm.
The trident is the weapon of Poseidon, or Neptune, the God of the Sea in classical mythology. The trident may occasionally be held by other mari ...
, replacing
Ralph Boschung
Ralph Boschung (born 23 September 1997) is a Swiss racing driver set to compete in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for Campos Racing. He is a race winner in the GP3 Series and has previously competed in Formula 2 from to , for Campos, MP Mot ...
. Lundgaard finished the races in 14th and 12th, ending 23rd in the championship.
2020
After taking part in post-season testing with
ART Grand Prix
ART Grand Prix is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. In 2012, it competed in the GP2 Series and GP3 Series as Lotus GP to reflect sponsorship from British sports and racing car manufacturer Lotus. The ...
, In January, it was announced that Lundgaard would drive for the French outfit during the full
2020 Formula 2 season alongside
2019 Formula 3 runner-up
Marcus Armstrong. Lundgaard missed the whole of pre-season testing at the
Bahrain International Circuit
The Bahrain International Circuit ( ar, حلبة البحرين الدولية, Ḥalba al-Baḥrayn ad-Dawliyya) is a motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 Series (now FIA Formula 2), and the annual Formula One Bahrain ...
due to an outbreak of
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
in his hotel, therefore he was forced to be quarantined for several days. Due to the mentioned virus, the season would eventually be postponed to July. During the lockdown, Lundgaard participated in various 2020 Virtual Grands Prix for
Renault
Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufacture ...
.
For the
first round at the Red Bull Ring, Lundgaard qualified fourth and finished in the same position, taking advantage of a car issue for
Guanyu Zhou
Zhou Guanyu (, pronounced ; born 30 May 1999) is a Chinese racing driver who currently competes in Formula One for Alfa Romeo. He is the first Chinese driver to compete in Formula One. He competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for UNI-Vir ...
and a mistake for
Mick Schumacher
Mick Schumacher (; born 22 March 1999) is a German racing driver who is the current reserve driver for the Mercedes AMG Formula One Team.
Schumacher began his career in karting in 2008, progressing to the German ADAC Formula 4 by 2015. Afte ...
late in the race. He finished the sprint race where he started, in fifth place, marking a solid Formula 2 debut for Lundgaard. During the
second Red Bull Ring round, he took eighth place in qualifying. He put a small overtaking masterclass in early wet part of the feature race, moving up to fourth at one point, but he would eventually finish sixth. In the sprint race from third, Lundgaard moved past teammate Armstrong at the start, and then later on
Dan Ticktum
Daniel Charles Anthony Ticktum (born 8 June 1999) is a British racing driver currently racing with the NIO 333 FE Team in the Formula E World Championship.
Ticktum became a member of the Red Bull Junior Team in 2017. During his time with Red ...
. He then came through for his maiden F2 win, winning by two seconds. On his performance so far, Lundgaard said that it was "better than expected" following missing testing. His strong showing saw him 2nd in the standings, 5 points behind leader
Robert Shwartzman
Robert Mikhailovich Shwartzman ( rus, Ро́берт Миха́йлович Шва́рцман, p=ˈrobʲɪrt mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ ˈʂvartsmɐn, he, רוברט מיכאילוביץ' שוורצמן; born 16 September 1999) is a Russian-Israeli ...
.
Lundgaard qualified sixth at
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
and moved up to fourth at the start of the feature race. However when trying to pass
Luca Ghiotto
Luca Ghiotto (born 24 February 1995) is an Italian racing driver who most recently raced in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for DAMS.
Career
Karting
Born in Arzignano, Ghiotto entered karting in 2008, when he took the title in the KF3 class of ...
, he hit his rear tyre, causing damage to Lundgaard's front wing and puncturing his tyre. He eventually retired on lap 10. Lundgaard made a recovery charge in the sprint race and finished 13th. In
Silverstone, Lundgaard started third due to
Callum Ilott
Callum Benjamin Ilott ( ; born 11 November 1998) is a British racing driver competing in the NTT IndyCar Series for Juncos Hollinger Racing. He was the official reserve driver for Alfa Romeo for the 2021 Formula One World Championship season an ...
stalling.
Nikita Mazepin
Nikita Dmitryevich Mazepin ( rus, Ники́та Дми́триевич Мазе́пин, p=nʲɪˈkʲitə ˈdmʲɪtrʲɪjɪvʲɪtɕ mɐˈzʲepʲɪn; born 2 March 1999) is a Russian professional racing driver who competes in rally raid.
A fo ...
passed him at the start but eventually moved back into third after dispatching polesitter
Felipe Drugovich. He was in second place during the final stages of the race, but during the final three laps was passed by
Guanyu Zhou
Zhou Guanyu (, pronounced ; born 30 May 1999) is a Chinese racing driver who currently competes in Formula One for Alfa Romeo. He is the first Chinese driver to compete in Formula One. He competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for UNI-Vir ...
and
Yuki Tsunoda on fresher tyres, falling to fourth place. In the sprint race, Lundgaard made a good start, jumping to second on the first lap. A spin for Ilott mid-race saw Lundgaard pit for tyres, he charged back to second late in the race but ran out of time to catch eventual winner
Dan Ticktum
Daniel Charles Anthony Ticktum (born 8 June 1999) is a British racing driver currently racing with the NIO 333 FE Team in the Formula E World Championship.
Ticktum became a member of the Red Bull Junior Team in 2017. During his time with Red ...
. In the
second Silverstone round, Lundgaard qualified second missing out on pole to Ilott, admitting that a mistake costed a chance of a maiden pole. In the feature race, he dropped to fourth at the start but quickly moved back to second shortly. He eventually finished in that position, nine seconds behind winner Ilott. In the sprint race while running seventh, Lundgaard's front-left tyre punctured on lap 16 which dropped him to last place. In the
Barcelona round, Lundgaard had an inferior weekend, he finished both races in 11th place.
In
Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), frequently referred to as ''Spa'', is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has he ...
, Lundgaard qualified in a disappointing 17th place and finished the feature race in the same position. He had a lightning start in the sprint race, moving to ninth by lap 4. He eventually finished the race in seventh place, and despite the result, fell out of the top five in the standings. In
Monza, Lundgaard started fourth, and moved to second after the pit stops after Ilott's slow pit stop. On the third last lap however, Ghiotto passed him and Lundgaard eventually finished in third place. Lundgaard charged to third place in the sprint race, benefitting on retirements from Tsunoda and Zhou. However, he was promoted to second place after Ticktum was disqualified. In
Mugello
The Mugello is a historic region and valley in northern Tuscany, in Italy, corresponding to the course of the River Sieve. It is located to the north of the city of Florence and includes the northernmost portion of the Metropolitan City of Fl ...
, Lundgaard claimed his maiden pole, five thousandths of a second ahead of Ticktum. He led majority of the race until the safety car restart on lap 31 of 33, where Lundgaard was passed by both
Hitech HiTech is a chess machine built at Carnegie Mellon University under the direction of World Correspondence Chess Champion Dr. Hans J. Berliner, by Berliner, Carl Ebeling, Murray Campbell, and Gordon Goetsch.
HiTech was the first computer chess sys ...
drivers on fresher tyres. His rivals later also overtook him, dropping him to sixth when the chequered flag fell. In the sprint race, Lundgaard passed
Jüri Vips
Jüri Vips (born 10 August 2000) is an Estonian professional racing driver, currently competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship with Hitech Grand Prix. He is the 2017 ADAC Formula 4 champion, and formerly a member of the Red Bull Junior Team. ...
and
Artem Markelov to storm into the lead by the first corner. He eventually won the race by an astonishing 14 seconds and moved into third in the championship.
In
Sochi, Lundgaard qualified in sixth place. However, a slow getaway saw him drop down the order, before being hit by
Pedro Piquet
Pedro Estácio Leão Piquet Souto Maior (born 3 July 1998) is a Brazilian former racing driver. He is the son of three-time Formula One world champion Nelson Piquet and younger half brother of Formula E champion Nelson Piquet Jr. He is known for ...
saw Lundgaard's race come to a close. A red-flagged sprint race saw Lundgaard end 13th. Heading into the final two rounds of the season, Lundgaard sat fourth in the standings, 46 points behind leader Schumacher. In the
first Bahrain round, Lundgaard finished the feature race in 19th, but stormed through the field to finish sixth in the sprint race. In the
final round of the season, Lundgaard finished both races out of the points, as during the feature race he stalled from sixth on the grid whilst also causing a small controversy of unlapping the race leaders while battling. Lundgaard finished 7th in the championship with 149 points, massively outscoring teammate Armstrong's 52 whilst helping ART finish 5th in the championship.
2021
![2021 British Grand Prix (51349271566)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/2021_British_Grand_Prix_%2851349271566%29.jpg)
He was retained by ART Grand Prix for the 2021 FIA Formula 2 season. On his new deal, Lundgaard aimed to improve on consistency and fight for the title. However, his season would not go as planned.
At the
Bahrain season opener, Lundgaard qualified second behind fellow
Alpine junior Guanyu Zhou
Zhou Guanyu (, pronounced ; born 30 May 1999) is a Chinese racing driver who currently competes in Formula One for Alfa Romeo. He is the first Chinese driver to compete in Formula One. He competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for UNI-Vir ...
, missing out by 0.003 seconds. He described that his small deficit to Zhou "hurts". In the first sprint race, Lundgaard made up places at the start and finished sixth. In the second sprint race, Lundgaard slipped from fifth to seventh, and then later clipped the back of
Lirim Zendeli whilst trying to overtaking to him and causing the German driver a puncture. Lundgaard was handed a 10-second penalty for that, and served it during the safety car as well as pitted for new rubber. He made up places as on the final lap, battled with his Alpine juniors Zhou and
Oscar Piastri
Oscar Piastri (born 6 April 2001) is an Australian racing driver who previously served as the reserve driver for Alpine F1 Team, having previously been in the team's driver academy. He won the 2019 Formula Renault Eurocup with R-ace GP, and wo ...
, but Lundgaard would eventually finish in second place. He did not appear on the podium due to being demoted due to a safety car infrigement, but he was later reinstated to second. In the feature race, Lundgaard took the lead of softer tyres, but lost the lead on lap 13 to Piastri. Following a safety car restart on lap 19, Lundgaard lost positions to rivals on fresher tyres and ended tenth, later dropping to 12th due to a safety car infringement.
In
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
, Lundgaard qualified eighth to start third in the first sprint. He jumped
Felipe Drugovich at the start but on lap 12, smoke starting pouring at the back of his car, in which Drugovich described being behind Lundgaard "a nightmare". Three laps later, Lundgaard parked his car at Mirabeau to retire. Sprint Race 2 was not successful either, he collided with the wall at Mirabeau, but was able to continue, only to retire with a mechanical issue. In the feature race, Lundgaard finished tenth, but was once again denied points again due to speeding in the pit lane and earning himself a time penalty which dropped him to 12th. He then stated that "Nothing went my way" in the point-less round.
Lundgaard's bad form continued in
Baku, where he qualified 12th. However, he was demoted to start 15th in the sprint race due to impeding qualifying Zhou in qualifying. In the first sprint race, Lundgaard improved to 11th position, but in the second sprint race was spun into the wall by
Felipe Drugovich on lap 8, whilst running in the top 10. The feature race was slightly successful, as Lundgaard made the overcut on his few rivals to gain positions and finish in the points with nine points. In
Silverstone, Lundgaard qualified tenth which gave him reverse pole for the first sprint. He had a slow start, and fell to third after losing positions to
Robert Shwartzman
Robert Mikhailovich Shwartzman ( rus, Ро́берт Миха́йлович Шва́рцман, p=ˈrobʲɪrt mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ ˈʂvartsmɐn, he, רוברט מיכאילוביץ' שוורצמן; born 16 September 1999) is a Russian-Israeli ...
and
Jüri Vips
Jüri Vips (born 10 August 2000) is an Estonian professional racing driver, currently competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship with Hitech Grand Prix. He is the 2017 ADAC Formula 4 champion, and formerly a member of the Red Bull Junior Team. ...
. He would remain in third for the remainder of the race, scoring his first podium since the opening round. More bad luck for Lundgaard, as he stalled on the formation lap, and was consigned to start from the pit lane and recovered to 13th. In the feature race during his pit stop, Lundgaard's rear-left wheel came off suddenly in the pit lane, which gave him a ten-second penalty. In a race where all runners finished, Lundgaard finished 21st. By the halfway point of the season, Lundgaard sat 12th in the standings, only with 29 points.
Despite making his
IndyCar debut, Lundgaard was confirmed to finish the 2021 F2 season. In
Monza, Lundgaard qualified a season-worst 19th. In the first sprint race, many rivals suffered misfortunes and he made overtakes, even on then championship leader Piastri. Lundgaard finished fourth on the road, but Shwartzman was given a penalty, promoting Lundgaard to third in a spectacular recovery drive. In the second sprint, Lundgaard finished 14th after being spun around on the opening lap. In the feature race, Lundgaard went on the alternate strategy by starting on the harder tyres. He made up positions during a late safety car and finished 11th, before being promoted to tenth due to a disqualification from
Richard Verschoor
Richard Verschoor (born 16 December 2000) is a Dutch racing driver set to compete for Van Amersfoort Racing in the Formula 2 Championship. Verschoor graduated to Formula 2 in 2021 with MP Motorsport before switching to Charouz Racing System, aft ...
. In
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
, Lundgaard qualified 12th, and took points in both races by finishing seventh and ninth, benefitting from others' mishaps.
In
Jeddah, Lundgaard qualified fourth. In a highly entertaining race in the first sprint, Lundgaard was involved in a tense battle with teammate Pourchaire, Piastri and
Jehan Daruvala
Jehan Daruvala (born 1 October 1998) is an Indian racing driver currently serving as a reserve driver for the Mahindra Racing Formula E team. He was a protégé of the Force India F1 team, after being one of three winners of a 'One in a Billio ...
to eventually finish seventh. However, Daruvala was given a penalty for an off-track advantage, promoting Lundgaard to sixth. In the second sprint race, Lundgaard made up two places from fifth to third at the start and fought for the lead, but was given a 5-second time penalty for cutting the corner whilst fighting
Bent Viscaal
Bent Max Calvin Viscaal (born 18 September 1999 in Almelo) is a Dutch racing driver who is set compete in the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship with Prema Racing. He last competed in the 2022 European Le Mans Series for Algarve Pro Racing. ...
. When
Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson (born 11 February 2002) is a New Zealand motor racing driver set to compete in the 2023 Super Formula Championship with Team Mugen. Lawson, who is mentored by three-time New Zealand Grand Prix winner Ken Smith, previously competed f ...
crashed and bunched the safety car right at the end of the race, the field was bunched up which demoted Lundgaard to 15th. In a red-flagged feature race that ended early, Lundgaard lost positions to eighth at the start. He made up a place on
Marcus Armstrong to finish seventh. In
Abu Dhabi, Lundgaard ended his Formula 2 career, sprint race 1 was affected by Viscaal hitting him, sprint race 2 was marred by a puncture caused by colliding with
Roy Nissany
Roy Nissany ( he, רוי ניסני; born 30 November 1994) is an Israeli racing driver who is set to compete in the Formula 2 Championship with PHM Racing by Charouz. He is also currently a Formula 1 test driver with Williams Grand Prix Eng ...
and the feature race was caused by early front wing damage. Lundgaard ended the championship in 12th place 50 points compared to teammate Pourchaire with a mammoth 140 in 5th, and was also Lundgaard's worst placing in a full-time series.
Formula One
In March 2017, Lundgaard was signed to the
Renault Sport Academy
The Alpine Academy – formerly known as the RF1 Driver Programme, Renault Driver Development and Renault Sport Academy – is a program to support young racing drivers through their careers. The programme was created by Renault F1 in 2002.
In ...
. Following the
2019 FIA Formula 3 Championship
The 2019 FIA Formula 3 Championship was the inaugural season of the FIA Formula 3 Championship, a multi-event motor racing championship for single-seat open-wheel formula racing cars. The championship featured drivers competing in 3.4-litre ...
, Lundgaard was invited to a private
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
test at the
Hungaroring
The Hungaroring is a motorsport racetrack in Mogyoród, Pest County, Hungary where the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix is held. In 1986, it became the location of the first Formula One Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtain. Bernie Ecclestone w ...
, where he got his first taste of a
Formula One car
A Formula One car (also known as an F1 car) is a single-seat, open-cockpit, open-wheel formula racing car with substantial front and rear wings, and an engine positioned behind the driver, intended to be used in competition at Formul ...
testing the
Renault R.S.17. He would also get another test with the R.S.17 later at
Circuito de Jerez
Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto (formerly known as Circuit of Jerez and Circuito Permanente de Jerez), is a racing circuit located close to the city of Jerez de la Frontera, south of Seville and deep within the sherry-producing region in th ...
in November.
In October 2020, Lundgaard and fellow academy member
Guanyu Zhou
Zhou Guanyu (, pronounced ; born 30 May 1999) is a Chinese racing driver who currently competes in Formula One for Alfa Romeo. He is the first Chinese driver to compete in Formula One. He competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for UNI-Vir ...
got another F1 test, testing the
Renault R.S.18 at the
Bahrain International Circuit
The Bahrain International Circuit ( ar, حلبة البحرين الدولية, Ḥalba al-Baḥrayn ad-Dawliyya) is a motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 Series (now FIA Formula 2), and the annual Formula One Bahrain ...
. Lundgaard then stated on his experience that "he felt comfortable straight away on his first run".
Lundgaard was included in the lineup of the team's academy when it was rebranded to
Alpine F1 Team
Alpine F1 Team, competing as BWT Alpine F1 Team, is a Formula One constructor which made its debut at the start of the 2021 Formula One World Championship. Formerly named Renault F1 Team and owned by the French automotive company Groupe Renault ...
in 2021. In addition to that, Lundgaard was given a role as a simulator driver in the team for 2021. He tested the 2018
Renault R.S.18 in June at
Silverstone, following his
Baku weekend. Lundgaard left the academy before the 2022 season, as he made his transition to
IndyCar.
IndyCar
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (2021–)
2021
In July 2021, Lundgaard tested an IndyCar with
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is an auto racing team that has participated in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the IndyCar Series. Headquartered in Brownsburg, Indiana and Hilliard, Ohio, it is co-owned by 1986 Indianapolis 500 ...
at
Barber Motorsports Park
Barber Motorsports Park is an multi-purpose racing facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. It was built by George W. Barber, and includes the Barber Vintage Motorsport Museum. It has been the site of the IndyCar Series' Grand Prix of Alab ...
. A month later, he joined the team for his
IndyCar debut at the
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway. On debut, Lundgaard qualified an impressive fourth and finished the race in twelfth.
2022
On 20 October 2021, it was announced that Lundgaard would join
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is an auto racing team that has participated in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the IndyCar Series. Headquartered in Brownsburg, Indiana and Hilliard, Ohio, it is co-owned by 1986 Indianapolis 500 ...
on a multi-year
IndyCar deal, starting from the
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
season. He partnered
Jack Harvey and
Graham Rahal
Graham Robert Rahal (born January 4, 1989) is an American race car driver and small business owner. He currently participates in the IndyCar Series with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, a team partially owned by his father Bobby Rahal, the winn ...
throughout the season. Lundgaard stated that there was "always a chance for F1" despite spending a season in IndyCar. Lundgaard made his full time IndyCar debut at the
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is an IndyCar Series race held in St. Petersburg, Florida. In most years since 2009, the race has served as the season opener (or at minimum, the first race held on U.S. soil). The race is held annually ...
, qualifying in 15th.
He went on to finish the race in 11th place, after slipping outside of the top 10 during the last few laps of the Grand Prix. The next race at the
Texas Moto Speedway saw Lundgaard qualify a low 25th at his first oval track, but retired after contact with
Colton Herta
Colton Thomas Herta (born March 30, 2000) is an American open-wheel racing driver currently competing in the NTT IndyCar Series for Andretti Autosport with Curb-Agajanian. He is the youngest person to ever win an IndyCar Series race.
He is the ...
. The third round at the
2022 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach
The 2022 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach was the third round of the 2022 IndyCar season. The race was held on April 10, 2022, in Long Beach, California on the Streets of Long Beach. The race lasted for 85 laps.
Entry list
Practice Practi ...
brought more disappointment, as on lap 31 he ran out of fuel while making his way to the pits, and was left two laps down to finish 18th. The fifth round in the
2022 GMR Grand Prix saw Lundgaard qualify eighth, but lost positions at the start as he went off onto the grass. An eventful race saw him who was down in 27th at one point, finish ninth.
At the
2022 Indy 500
The 2022 Indianapolis 500 (branded as the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge for sponsorship reasons) was a 500-mile (804.7 km, 200 lap) race in the 2022 IndyCar Series, held on Sunday, May 29, 2022, at the India ...
, Lundgaard became the first Danish driver to race in the
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...
, he finished 18th. At the eighth round at the
2022 Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America, Lundgaard led a lap during the race, and worked his way to finish tenth. For the tenth round during the
2022 Honda Indy Toronto, Lundgaard once again qualified in the top 10. In the race, Lundgaard gained positions when others made contact and took eighth place, his highest finish in IndyCar up till that point. Lundgaard added another tenth place finish in the
first Iowa race, but in the
second race, his races was ended early by a brake issue.
The thirteenth round, at the
2022 Gallagher Grand Prix saw Lundgaard qualify sixth. He moved into fourth at the race start and passed
Felix Rosenqvist
Felix Rosenqvist (born 7 November 1991) is a Swedish professional racing driver who currently drives the No. 6 Chevrolet for Arrow McLaren SP in the NTT IndyCar Series. He was named Rookie of the Year for the IndyCar Series in 2019.
Racing car ...
on lap 9 for third. He overtook
Colton Herta
Colton Thomas Herta (born March 30, 2000) is an American open-wheel racing driver currently competing in the NTT IndyCar Series for Andretti Autosport with Curb-Agajanian. He is the youngest person to ever win an IndyCar Series race.
He is the ...
for second after the American slowed. Lundgaard even pressured race leader
Alexander Rossi
Alexander Michael Rossi (born September 25, 1991) is an American professional racing driver and podcast host. He currently competes full-time in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet for Arrow McLaren SP. Rossi is best known for winning ...
for the lead, but had to settle for second. Despite that, it was his first ever IndyCar podium and said that "it feels amazing". Lundgaard followed it up with a best third in qualifying at the
2022 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. With two laps to go, Lundgaard steered out of trouble as he faced a safety car whilst in third place. However, he suddenly dropped to eighth at the flag. A poor weekend in the
2022 Bommarito Automotive Group 500 followed, before qualifying fourth in the
penultimate race in Portland. However his first pit stop had problems, and he fell near outside the top 10. He tried to recover, but near the end Lundgaard made a mistake and collected a foam barrier dropping him to 21st as he was forced to pit. The final race at
Laguna Seca Laguna Seca may refer to:
* Laguna Seca Formation, a geologic formation in California
* Laguna Seca (Mexico), see Convention of London
* Laguna Seca (Santa Clara County), a seasonal lake in California
* Laguna Seca, Texas, United States
* Rancho ...
saw Lundgaard qualify 16th, but brilliantly improved to finish fifth. Lundgaard ended his rookie season of IndyCar in 14th with 323 points. This meant that he won the Rookie Of The Year, beating his closest rookie rival
David Malukas
David Malukas (born September 27, 2001) is a Lithuanian-American race car driver who competes in the IndyCar Series for Dale Coyne Racing.
Career
Lower formula
In 2016 and the early part of 2017, Malukas competed in the Formula 4 UAE Champio ...
by 18 points. On his rookie title, Lundgaard expressed that his "route to IndyCar rookie title was very tough".
2023
In August 2022, Lundgaard signed a contract to remain with
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is an auto racing team that has participated in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the IndyCar Series. Headquartered in Brownsburg, Indiana and Hilliard, Ohio, it is co-owned by 1986 Indianapolis 500 ...
for
2023
Events
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1
** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law.
** Croatia will adopt the eu ...
and beyond.
Personal life
Lundgaard's father is 2000
European Rally champion
Henrik Lundgaard
Henrik Lundgaard (born 26 February 1969) is a Danish rally driver. In 2000, he won the European Rally Championship in a Toyota Corolla WRC. He has also been a driver on the race track as well, competing in one season of the European Touring Car ...
. His brother, Daniel, raced alongside Christian in the
2017 F4 Danish Championship and now designs his race helmets.
Karting record
Karting career summary
Racing record
Racing career summary
‡ Lundgaard was ineligible for points from the third round onwards.
† As Lundgaard was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.
Complete SMP F4 Championship results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete F4 Spanish Championship results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete F4 Danish Championship results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete Formula Renault Northern European Cup results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
‡ Lundgaard was ineligible for points from the third round onwards.
Complete Formula Renault Eurocup results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete GP3 Series results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete FIA Formula 3 Championship results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate points for the fastest lap of top ten finishers)
Complete Macau Grand Prix results
Complete FIA Formula 2 Championship results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate points for the fastest lap of top ten finishers)
‡ Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed.
American open-wheel racing results
(
key)
IndyCar Series
(
key)
Indianapolis 500
* Season still in progress.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lundgaard, Christian
2001 births
Living people
Danish racing drivers
Spanish F4 Championship drivers
SMP F4 Championship drivers
Formula Renault Eurocup drivers
People from Hedensted Municipality
Formula Renault 2.0 NEC drivers
GP3 Series drivers
FIA Formula 3 Championship drivers
FIA Formula 2 Championship drivers
IndyCar Series drivers
Indianapolis 500 drivers
MP Motorsport drivers
ART Grand Prix drivers
Trident Racing drivers
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing drivers
Sportspeople from the Central Denmark Region
Pinnacle Motorsport drivers
F3 Asian Championship drivers
Karting World Championship drivers