Winning the 2022 Indianapolis 500 may be the biggest mental challenge Marcus Erickson should be drawn once. And if need be, when the checkered flag waves for the 110th edition of Racing’s Greatest Spectacle in less than two weeks, he’ll be ready to do it all over again to get back to Victory.
With practice rounds for the May 24 classic, the speedy Swede will be hoping to command the same mental edge he gained three years ago – this time in the No. 28 Honda and wearing the outfit. Andretti Global black
Ericsson is busy. Sure, there’s 500 miles of 200+ mph weightlifting and conditioning, but he’s doing his selfless work with mental activity coach to help him overcome stressful moments with strong confidence.
“I’ve always been interested in the psychological side of things,” he says. “I think it’s really powerful for everyone, but for an athlete, it can be a game-changer if your mental strength is better than your competitors.”
The former F1 driver is checking all the training boxes to bounce back from a slower-than-expected start to the 2026 season. With only one top five finish, second Indy 500 A win would be a huge change. He hits the weight room hard, adds 10 pounds to his 5’11” frame, mixes in cycling and even adds Pilates for core work. Allegra allergy relief as a precaution to keep seasonal allergies from triggering.
But his most important work, he believes, in terms of preparation and overall performance, was with the Swedish mentality performance coach Stig Wiklund, that he started working with him a few months after his victory in 2022. Regardless of the results of this season, Ericsson will move on stronger, smarter and more confident.
“This year we really took another step forward,” he says. “He gives me different routines that I do every day. So I go to the gym every day, I do my mental exercises every day, and it really helps me be the best version of myself.”
A movement that helped form his mental health movement
For Eriksson, mental health has become a cause close to his heart, especially after the 2018 death of fellow Swedish DJ Avicii. For this year’s race, he recently unveiled a newly designed helmet featuring mental health awareness messages such as “Stop the Stigma” as a public sign of his personal commitment.
Along the way, Ericsson also advocates the benefits of having a mental health coach in your corner. This is a growing trend not only in sports but also in regions like music. “I think it’s a key in pressure situations when you’re fighting for a win or a better place in a race,” he says. “Being able to keep thoughts out of your head on the road shows how important the mental side of things is.”
There may be no better example of using mental strength in a difficult situation than 2020 – perhaps the longest 10-minute wait of his career. In the final lap of the 2022 Indianapolis 500, Erickson made a big break after a stunning mistake by then-Ganassi teammate Scott Dixon, who had been leading before taking a penalty.
Now leading with just four laps remaining, a crash by Jimmie Johnson prompted a rare red flag and forced drivers to sit in pit lane for more than 10 minutes while crews cleared the track. When the race finally resumed, Eriksson, who now had to sit and wait and run through every scenario in his head for a possible upset finish, was able to leapfrog second-placed Pato O’Ward and defend aggressively for two laps to hold onto the lead and secure the win.
“I was sitting and waiting to start the race again and be in the lead in the biggest race in the world, and I knew that if I won this race, it would change my life forever,” he said. “All the mental work I did to focus and not let my thoughts wander to how close I was to winning the biggest race in the world. I think that made the difference and made me win this race.”
Training for all-around peak performance
Along with getting his mind into peak race shape, getting all aspects of his body right has also been a key factor in his return to the top of the podium, including preventative care against health concerns like allergies out of his control. With all the work he’s put into overcoming G-forces, heat and no power steering, Erickson would hate to see a hay fever flare undo all that hard work. Rare, perhaps, but this is a valid reason why partnership with antihistamines great Allegra can criticize so much.
“It’s very real,” Erickson says. “Allegra has been really good for us because I have seasonal allergies, and so do a lot of my team members who have to be sharp and ready. And during allergy season, that’s really important.”
Allergy prevention is just another layer in the already stacked training and wellness program that Ericsson has built in an effort to return to championship form. During the season, he hits the weights at least five days a week, mixing barbells and weight training to add strength to muscle the car without power steering. He also adds neck training, using a helmet mounted on a cable machine to strengthen the muscles that absorb G-force punishment, especially around tight corners. “In the gym, it looks a bit cheesy, sure, but it’s effective,” he says. It helped me handle those G-forces that you get in a race car.”
During the off-season, with all the off-track responsibilities that go with racing, training remains consistent but on a reduced scale. Ericsson still works regularly with Andretti Global coach Chris Snyder. “I work with him and train a lot every day, I would say, also a lot on strength and mobility,” he says. “Obviously the upper body is important — the shoulders, the neck, the arms — because we don’t have power steering. But you still have to be strong throughout your body and your core because of all the G-forces you get in a race car.” Most sessions end with a few rounds of light boxing for conditioning, hand coordination and mental clarity at the end of the competition.
One of the biggest additions in the past two years, he says, has been Pilates. The main monster, which focuses on movement in a workout, was a game-changer for Ericsson, who injured his lower back after long workouts. Now he does this two or three times a week and sees and feels the results.
“It causes a lot of drivers to struggle with their backs and backs, myself included,” he said. “Starting with Pilates really helped me with core strength.”
Mixed with Pilates exercises, Ericsson may also include more mindfulness exercises prescribed by Wiklund, including meditation, a key mental booster for athletes to reduce stress cortisol and increase awareness.
“It’s more about thinking, working on reflection and analyzing my thoughts,” he says. “When I do Pilates, we also do breathing exercises. This is certainly a very powerful tool.
Now, as he heads into this year’s Indy 500 bigger, stronger and more mentally and physically fit, a second title feels well within the former winner’s reach. “I think we’ve had a really strong start. So it’s about continuing that trend and having a strong season,” he says. “But of course we want to win races and the sooner the better.”
