Yahoo Autos Pourchaire to complete season with Arrow McLaren outside of Indy 500
Arrow McLaren has signed Theo Pourchaire as the full-time driver of its No. 6 Chevrolet, barring the Indianapolis 500, where the French rookie is not approved by the IndyCar Series to compete.
Pourchaire, who subbed for the injured David Malukas at Long Beach and Barber Motorsports Park, will wield the No. 6 car once more this weekend at the Indianapolis Grand Prix, hand the car over to its unnamed driver for the Indy 500, and return the week after at Detroit and all of the remaining road courses, street courses, and ovals in the wake of the team’s split with Malukas.
“The IndyCar Series has some of the best racing in motorsport, and now I can say that with experience,” Pourchaire said. “I’m excited to take on this challenge with Arrow McLaren for the rest of the season. This is a special opportunity, and I am committed to learning and improving as we get on track each race weekend. I’ve enjoyed my first two races with the team, and I know we have plenty of potential in front of us. Of course, I would like to thank [McLaren CEO] Zak [Brown], [team principal] Gavin [Ward] and [sporting director] Tony [Kanaan], as well as the Sauber F1 Team, for making this all possible.”
Having impressed Arrow McLaren’s leadership with his speed and easy fit within the team, the reigning FIA Formula 2 champion, who serves as the test and reserve driver for Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber, has been released from his driving duties in the Japanese Super Formula series. The move was necessary to erase calendar conflicts with the Laguna Seca, Toronto, and Portland IndyCar events, and he is not expected to be called up for any Free Practice 1 appearances in F1 through the September 15 IndyCar season finale at Nashville Speedway.
“We’re excited to continue working with Theo,” said Arrow McLaren team principal Gavin Ward. “He proved to be a quick learner, and we believe his skillset and learning mindset will support his development as he gets more comfortable racing in the IndyCar Series. Now, it’s about continuing to grow and turning those learnings into results alongside the No. 6 team.”
Although the team has not confirmed No. 6’s Indy 500 driver, Callum Ilott, who was hired by Arrow McLaren to stand in for Malukas at St. Petersburg and The Thermal Club, is listed as the car’s driver in IndyCar’s Indy 500 media guide.
