When Marcus Ericsson defied motorsport stereotypes and sought help from a mental coach to boost his potential

Marcus Ericsson, the 2022 Indianapolis 500 champion and 2023 championship runner-up to Josef Newgarden, is currently competing in his seventh season in the NTT IndyCar Series and his second with Andretti Global. Ericsson once opened up about seeking help from a mental coach to boost his potential.

The 2023 St. Petersburg victory for the Swedish driver represented more than just a personal triumph. It served as a powerful rebuttal to lingering stigmas surrounding mental coaching in sports, specifically motorsport.

Only a few months after winning the Greatest Spectacle of Racing, Marcus Ericsson enlisted the help of mental coach Stig Wiklund back in Sweden in between seasons. The Swede explained the need for a mental coach and added that he did not need to hide it.

“I started to work with a coach this winter, because I wanted to find ways to improve and as people go to the gym to be stronger, I went to a mental coach to be stronger mentally,” Ericsson said in an episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast.

"So, I don’t feel like I have to hide that. I think it’s a strength to look at where you can improve and work on those areas. So I started work with a guy in Sweden [Wiklund] and we have sessions on a weekly basis. He’s helped me a lot in sort of mindset and how to think in different situations and how to control your mind and stuff like that," added Ericsson

Marcus Ericsson competes in the NTT IndyCar Series Championship with Andretti Global. He achieved one of the sport’s most prestigious victories by winning the Indianapolis 500 in 2022 while driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. Ericsson also raced in Formula One from 2014 to 2018.

Marcus Ericsson lifts the curtain on an alternate career path in place of racing

INDYCAR Open Testing - Indianapolis - Source: Getty

Andretti Global driver Marcus Ericsson recently shared what career he might have pursued if he hadn’t become a professional racing driver. He said he would have chosen to be an ice hockey player, a nod to his Swedish heritage.

Sweden boasts one of the strongest national ice hockey teams in the world. The team is part of the "Big Six," an informal group of elite hockey nations that also includes Canada, the United States, Russia, Finland, and the Czech Republic.

The conversation came during a Q&A session hosted by social media personality Daniel Mac, known for his viral interviews and 2.8 million Instagram followers. Mac posed the popular “What do you do for a living?” question to several Andretti drivers, including Ericsson.

"What do you do for a living if you weren't a driver?" Mac asked.

Ericsson picked his homeland's favorite sport, saying:

"I would play ice hockey."

Ericsson is currently 19th in the NTT IndyCar Series Championship with 96 points.