Arrow McLaren Sets 2027 Lineup Amid INDYCAR Silly Season
Photo courtesy of Arrow MacLaren
By Dennis Krause
When Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist announced he was leaving Meyer Shank Racing with Agajanian Curb at the end of the season, it jump started the INDYCAR silly season.
Days later, when Scott Dixon indicated he would not be returning to Chip Ganassi Racing after 25 years with the team, silly season accelerated into overdrive.
Monday, the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team put much of the speculation to rest when it revealed its driver lineup for 2027.
As was speculated, Dixon and Rosenqvist will join the team next season on multi-year agreements, teaming with current driver and Mid-Ohio winner Pato O’Ward as well as Sporting Director and Indy 500 driver Ryan Hunter-Reay.
That means Indy Grand Prix and Road America winner Christian Lungaard and Nolan Siegel are out and looking for new opportunities for next season.
Photo by Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment
“Our IndyCar team has shown fantastic momentum, and this lineup of Pato, Scott, Felix and Ryan will strengthen every aspect of our program,” McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said. “We’ve got our eyes firmly set on the Championship as well as winning the Indianapolis 500 to secure the Triple Crown in the Papaya era. These four drivers bring a wealth of experience as well as great chemistry and will no doubt have a positive impact across our entire team.
“Christian’s and Nolan’s contributions have helped shape the progress we’re building on today, and I appreciate the energy and drive they have brought to the team since they joined.”
Team Principal Tony Kanaan, added, “It's never an easy decision, but when you have the opportunity to bring drivers of this caliber into your team, you take it seriously. Scott's accomplishments speak for themselves, Felix is this year's Indy 500 winner and consistently fast and competitive and Ryan has the experience and capability to win the 500 again, without a doubt. Add that talent to what we have with Pato, who's knocking on the door of his own 500 win, and we're the threat we've been building up to be in the championship and the 500.
“We'll keep our focus on Christian and Pato's championship fight and Nolan's work toward top-ten finishes for the remainder of the year. Christian and Nolan have been awesome teammates and they've given a lot to help us build up this team the past two years."
Second on the all-time wins list with 59, but winless since last year’s race at Mid-Ohio, a change in surroundings may just be what the 45-year-old Dixon needs.
“Joining Arrow McLaren in 2027 is an exciting next step in my career. It was a big decision for myself, for my family, and I’m looking forward to contributing to what the team, Zak and Tony are building there.
“As a New Zealander, being part of Bruce McLaren’s legacy will be special; his spirit and grit are still very much rooted in the team, and I’m exciting to carry that on.”
It’s a return to McLaren for Rosenqvist, who spent the 2021-2023 seasons with the team.
“I’m excited to return to Arrow McLaren next season and reunite with Pato, of course, and also Tony, Zak and the crew and engineers I worked with previously. There are a lot of familiar faces, and we’ve got an incredible lineup with Scott joining and Ryan returning for the 500. I think our collective experience will be a huge benefit. I’ve still got work to do to finish this season strong, but I’m looking forward to what’s to come at Arrow McLaren.”
Christian Lundgaard, a two-race winner this season, is out at Arrow McLaren
Photo by Travis Hinkle/Penske Entertainment
Coming off a pole and runner-up finish at Mid-Ohio, Lundgaard is unsure of where he’ll be in the future and whether he’ll be proactive in seeking a new ride, or let his results speak for him.
“There's a lot of talks back and forth. At the end of the day, I still have a job to do now. What next year brings, at the end of the day, I still don't know. My guess is as good as yours is from that regard.
“But as long as I keep doing the best that I can and keep winning races, I feel like those results speak for themselves.”
Four-time and reigning series champion, and current series point leader, Alex Palou said he was said to see his teammate, Dixon, go.
“Yeah, it's sad. It's sad because of what he has done for the team, for everybody at Chip Ganassi Racing. I've not been since the beginning, obviously, but I know I would not be here today without him and also with the results I had. It's big-time due to him.
“Very sad, but at the same time, it's okay. It's just part of life. It's part of the sport. I wish him the best, honestly. I'm going to try and keep on learning as much as I can throughout the races that we still have. But yeah, nothing I can do, right? I think it's been incredible to be his teammate, and I'm sure the next drivers that will be sharing teams with him, they're going to be very lucky.”
Given his success rate since joining the Ganassi team, it could almost be intimidating to be Palou’s new teammate. But the Spaniard doesn’t see it that way.
“No, I think it's -- like when I had the opportunity to be teammates with Scott, it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. First you have no pressure because you're going against the best -- I was going up against the best. You can learn as much as you can.
“I think a teammate that is my teammate can see everything that I do and can learn as much as he wants from me, can drive the same car that I drive.
“I think it's actually an opportunity that a lot of people want. They always want to compare themselves or drive the same car than the person that is winning.”
Photo by Chris Jones/Penske Entertainment
If he wasn’t already, just by his results and Dixon’s lack thereof, recently, Palou will assume the role of team leader at Ganassi.
“Scott has done an incredible job for the team, but at the same time, the way that this team operates, it's very open,” noted Palou. “Every single driver has the same amount of saying, let's say. Since day one I had the same amount of saying as Scott, as Jimmie (Johnson) when he was in the team, as Marcus (Armstrong).
“I've never felt like there was a leader on, like, guiding the team. There's always a leader, obviously. Like Scott, he's still the leader of the team. But not in a way of structuring the work for each car.
“I think it's not really going to change anything. I've been working with Kyffin (Simpson) for a long time, with Armstrong, as well, with Felix now. There's been nothing that -- there's been no time that one driver had more saying or more importance than any other, and I think it's going to be the same for the future.”
While Rosenqvist’s teammate at Meyer Shank Racing, Marcus Armstrong, has drawn a lot of attention recently, especially after this year’s Indy 500 and his near miss at Road America, the 25-year-old Kiwi has decided to remain at MSR.
Photo by Travis Hinkle/Penske Entertainment
Another driver drawing favorable attention is Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Rinus VeeKay. With Arrow McLaren’s seats now filled, does that increase the urgency of the Dutchman figuring out his situation for next year?
“Well, it is usually kind of June, July when you see things starting to happen,” said VeeKay. “For me, I think we've been working towards finding our best decision for next year, but also the future. Of course with dominos falling you look at things a little bit differently, and it moves things. But in the end I think we've got a pretty good idea of what we want to do.”
Other drivers to keep an eye on are Marcus Ericsson at Andretti Global as well as A.J. Foyt Racing’s rookie Caio Collet.
Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute.