Sato extends with Rahal, Herta moves to Andretti
LAGUNA SECA, Calif. — Takuma Sato will return to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing next season and Colton Herta was pulled inside the Andretti Autosport camp as IndyCar drivers are securing their 2020 plans.
Rahal said Saturday it had picked up the option for next year on Sato, a former Indianapolis 500 winner who has won twice this season for RLL.
“We have been very pleased with the results and level of competition Takuma has shown this season,” team owner Bobby Rahal said. “His two wins and two poles don’t fully indicate how competitive he has been overall this season and the fact that he was a contender at many other races. He is an integral part of our team. This decision allows us to keep the continuity and continue to build upon our program for 2020.”
Andretti merged with Harding Steinbrenner Racing via a partnership that put Herta in a fifth entry for the team. The No. 88 Honda will join the Andretti stable under the Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport banner, and Harding principals Mike Harding and George Steinbrenner IV will join Michael Andretti as leadership partners of that car.
“I’m thrilled to be able to keep Colton in the Andretti family,” Andretti said. “We’ve watched him grow and develop and we are excited to see the next chapter as he continues his charge in becoming a strong competitive force in the IndyCar Series.”
An hour after the deal was announced, Herta won the pole — his third of the season — for Sunday’s season-ending race.
Herta this season became the youngest winner in IndyCar history when he grabbed a victory days before his 19th birthday. The son of former driver and Andretti business associate Bryan Herta has been consistently quick all year, including this weekend at the season finale at Laguna Seca Raceway.
His fellow competitors describe him as fearless, and he’s impressed many with his ability to get up to speed quickly at nearly every track while driving for small, underfunded Harding Steinbrenner Racing.
“It’s always been a goal of mine to drive for Andretti Autosport ever since watching my dad drive for them in the mid-2000s,” Herta said. “I’m very thankful for the Steinbrenners and Mike Harding for their efforts through my career and continued efforts into this year.
“I’ve grown up around the Andretti team and many of the guys that have been working there since my dad’s days of driving are still with the team. I’m sure I’ll feel right at home.”
The future of A.J. Foyt Racing, as well as popular driver Tony Kanaan, is uncertain because primary sponsor ABC Supply is leaving after Sunday’s race. Larry Foyt, who runs the team, said the plan is to field two cars next year but noted the search for funding is still underway.
ABC plans to sponsor one Foyt car for the Indianapolis 500, and there is no indication if it will be for Kanaan, who is in his 22nd season and the most veteran driver in the series.
McLaren head Zak Brown has at least one seat to fill at Arrow Schmidt Motorsports next season when the brand returns to IndyCar as a partner with Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. The team has interest in Conor Daly, as does Carlin, which has used Daly in four races this year.
Yet speculation still swirls around James Hinchcli e and his future with the Schmidt team.
He has a heavy alliance with Honda, but Schmidt will be moving to Chevrolet after the McLaren addition, ending Hinchcli e’s lucrative relationship with Honda unless he finds an out to join another Honda team.