The connection between F1 and IndyCar keeps getting stronger after Ericsson's Indy 500 victory

This year's Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson spent fours years in F1 between 2014 and 2018, but never came anywhere near close to scaling the lofty heights he managed this past Sunday at The Brickyard.

Exclusively racing in machinery that never had any hope of matching the might of Mercedes through the turbo hybrid era of Formula 1, Ericsson's stock barely rose in the 97 race starts he made.

From those, just 11 resulted in a points finish and, even in his brightest season in 2018, he was overshadowed by the fast-emerging talent of a certain Charles Leclerc.