Devlin DeFrancesco’s seat at Andretti Autosport is safe for 2023.

Signed to a two-year deal, the Canadian rookie’s hold on the No. 29 Honda was called into question when outreaches to more experienced drivers with offers to step into the car next season recently came to light. Both sides are known to have looked at other opportunities that would have ended their relationship after the season finale in September, but as of this week, RACER understands those efforts have been mutually halted.

Asked in July to confirm DeFrancesco’s place in the No. 29 Honda beyond 2022, a team representative declined to do so, but did mention its drivers were under contract for next season. In response to a new outreach from RACER, the NTT IndyCar Series team said the 22-year-old will stay for the second year of his contract and remain as part of its four-car program next season.

“As previously confirmed, our 2023 drivers are under contract, which includes Devlin,” a team spokesperson confirmed. “He has grown a lot in his rookie season and we’re excited to see what the second year of our agreement brings.”

Having joined Andretti’s Road to Indy program in 2020, the Toronto native earned second on debut in the Indy Pro 2000 series on the strength of earning six podiums and two victories. Graduating to Indy Lights in 2021, DeFrancesco produced two podiums on the way to placing sixth in the championship and with a vacancy in the No. 29 Honda, he took the final step with the outfit as teammate to Colton Herta, Alexander Rossi, and Romain Grosjean.

A rough introduction to IndyCar would follow for DeFrancesco, but as he reached the second half of the season, considerable growth has been demonstrated, capped by his performance Saturday night on the World Wide Technology Raceway where he earned a career-best finish of 12th.