The wheels of change continue to spin at Arrow McLaren with Alexander Rossi being the latest casualty.
On Tuesday it was announced that the team and Rossi, the 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner, had mutually agreed to part ways.
“We talked for months,” Pieter Rossi, the driver’s father, told AP. “We just, quite simply, couldn’t come to terms on a lot of the bits, and that’s OK.”
McLaren gave AP a statement on his behalf: “My time at Arrow McLaren, while it’s been only short two seasons, has been rewarding in many ways. I’m grateful to have been part of the team’s internal growth.
“The No. 7 crew is fantastic, and I’ve built a lot of long-lasting friendships with the team,” Rossi added, noting he had multiple conversations with team leaders over the past several months. “The mutual decision to part ways is amicable. I’m very confident with current discussions in the paddock to land a new spot. I’ll have good news to follow soon, and meanwhile I’m focused on a top-five finish in the 2024 championship and a strong conclusion to my time in papaya.”
The move paves the way for the 22-year-old Christian Lundgaard to assume his seat for 2025. Currently Lundgaard has been driving for Rahal Letterman Lanigan since leaving the F1 ladder for IndyCar.
Lundgaard is currently 11th in the IndyCar standings while Rossi is fifth.
If changes at McLaren sound familiar you only have to recall back to last year when Alex Palou breached his contract with the team to stay with Chip Ganassi Racing. The team is actively suing Palou for more than $30 million.
Felix Rosenquvst, who Palou was to take the seat of, left and joined Meyer Shank Racing while David Malukas was then hired to fill his empty seat for the start of the 2024 season.
Of course Malukas would break his hand before the season opener with Callum Ilott and F2 champion Theo Pourchaire getting seat time in his absence. The team would later part ways with Malukas after a cause in his contract for missed events was triggered.
Pourchaire was named the driver of the No. 6 for the remainder of the season only to then be replaced by Nolan Siegel a few weeks ago after he signed a multi-year contract with the team.
“I think Pato, Nolan and I will work well together,” Lundgaard said in a statement given to AP. “I’m focused 100% on finishing this season strong with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. We have a lot of the season left, but this is a huge weight off my shoulders that will hopefully let me compete at my best the next nine races.”
