NTT Data will be leaving Alex Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing for the upcoming 2023 IndyCar season, moving its major sponsorship presence over to Felix Rosenqvist at Arrow McLaren SP.
NTT will be the lead partner for Rosenqvist’s #6 entry for 10 of next year’s 17 races, including some of the biggest races of the year such as the Indianapolis 500 and the season opener at St. Petersburg.
Rosenqvist previously had NTT sponsorship on his car when he drove for Ganassi for 2019 and 2020, and will be paired with the company once again.
NTT will also sponsor AMSP’s fourth car for the Indy 500, which was recently announced will be piloted by Tony Kanaan.
Kanaan has also driven a blue NTT livery in the past during his time with Ganassi, showing that the brand seems to employ loyalty to individual drivers as much as it does to their teams.
“NTT DATA joining our great group of partners is a huge boost for Arrow McLaren SP,” said McLaren CEO Zak Brown. “I’m thrilled they will be representing our No. 6 car as a Lead Partner and a major sponsor for our fourth entry in the Indy 500, piloted by Tony Kanaan.
“Tony proved last year he can compete with the best of them, and I’m excited to see him put on a show with our team next May.”
NTT Data posted a short message on social media reading “As we wave the checkered flag on our 10-year partnership with [Chip Ganassi Racing], we appreciate the successes—including the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship—and the everlasting memories and friendships.”
The technology company’s first sponsorship deal with Ganassi came in 2013 when the company purchased the main sponsor rights to Ryan Briscoe’s Indy 500 entry in 2013.
The company then sponsored Kanaan, Scott Dixon, Ed Jones, Felix Rosenqvist, and Alex Palou over the years as the team cycled through drivers over the past decade.
Palou had other companies sponsor his car for five of the last seven events of the 2022 season, and word around the paddock hinted that was partially due to the reigning champion’s contract dispute, which took the headlines for much of that time.
It is unknown if that lengthy dispute had any bearing on the company finding a new partner for next season.
NTT is also the title sponsor of the NTT IndyCar Series, having taken over from Verizon in 2019.
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