Kanaan: Arrow McLaren “haven’t reached an agreement” on IndyCar lineup

Credit: Paul Hurley

Tony Kanaan has insisted that no final decision has yet been made on his Arrow McLaren team’s lineup for the 2027 IndyCar season.

Multiple credible reports have suggested Christian Lundgaard, who has won twice and claimed five podiums in 11 rounds this season, is set to depart the team after two years. Nolan Siegel is also poised to exit, leaving two vacant seats alongside Pato O’Ward.

“There’s a lot of talk about what we’re doing in the team and a lot of speculation,” said team principal Kanaan after the team’s 1-2 finish - O’Ward leading Lundgaard - at Mid-Ohio on Sunday. “I think we haven’t reached an agreement yet. You guys will see in the near future what the team is doing. We haven’t been able to agree on a couple things.”

According to reports, 45-year-old Scott Dixon’s departure from Chip Ganassi Racing after 24 complete seasons leaves the six-time champion bound for Arrow McLaren. Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist, who will part ways with Meyer Shank Racing after three years at the end of this campaign, is also being heavily linked to a return to papaya colours.

Sitting 20th in points, which is only two positions higher than in his first complete season with the team in 2025, Siegel has failed to deliver upon Kanaan’s target of a top-10 championship finish in order to keep his ride. His exit has been to be expected.

Credit: Chris Owens

But Lundgaard is currently third in the standings, leading long-time Arrow McLaren lead driver O’Ward by 29 points. Last season, in his first year with the team, a fifth-place championship finish made him the first teammate of O’Ward’s to finish better than eighth in points, which was Rosenqvist’s best return in three seasons.

Lundgaard’s oval craft needs refining, but 11 podiums in 28 races overall is a return already a tally eight greater than that achieved by Rosenqvist in a 48-race stint. So why would he lose his ride?

“As a team principal, I’m responsible for running this team as best as I can,” Kanaan said. “I think Christian has shown his potential. But also, there are other options out there and I’ve got to consider all of them. The decision hasn’t been made yet. 

“Although people keep putting people in my cars, it’s not done until it’s done. He’s still very much in play and he’s an extremely capable race car driver. We’ll see what’s going to happen.”

Even in the face of the external talk surrounding the team’s moves in this year’s driver market, they still managed to achieve their first-ever lockout of the top two positions on the podium at Mid-Ohio - in the seventh year since the McLaren name returned to IndyCar.

Lundgaard, who has emerged as second-in-command to four-time champion Álex Palou on road courses, secured pole ahead of O’Ward for a front-row sweep on Saturday. Positions flipped on Sunday as O’Ward secured a first podium and victory of the campaign.

Credit: Bella Rosen

“Hey, they make noise; we’ll make a bigger noise. That’s how we work,” Kanaan said. “This is a statement of what it is. There is a lot of things going on - a lot of distraction - and we’re able to keep this team on track with what we came here to do. We came here to finish 1-2-3 and we finished 1-2. We’re trying to win this championship. 

“There is no excuses when you have a name like McLaren and a boss like Zak [Brown, McLaren Racing CEO]. This was our first one-two and my text to him says: ‘And it won’t be the last.’ And that’s Zak. Proud of them, proud of the drivers with the distraction and everything that has been going on.

“I’m trying to be as mindful and as fair as possible, using my own experiences; I’ve been through some ups and downs in my career, if I can help them out. But the focus is we always leave is all at the racetrack. The results will speak for themselves. As much as you win and you put yourself in a position to do so, your life will become easier one way or the other.”

Kanaan was entrusted with leadership of the IndyCar team as team principal at the beginning of 2025, having served as a special advisor following his 2023 Indy 500 appearance, initially transitioning to sporting director.

It has not been an organisation afraid of making tough driver-related decisions in recent years. Siegel’s mid-season signing in 2024 came harshly in place of Théo Pourchaire, who had shown abundant promise as replacement for the injured David Malukas. Whatever happens this time around, Kanaan vows to be transparent with his team.

Credit: Paul Hurley

“I kept the team tight. I kept the team at truth,” Kanaan said. “They’re going to hear from me whatever the decision is. If they haven’t heard from me, that means there is no decision made yet. 

“But rest assured that the decision is going to come with a lot of certainty and not taking for granted that 130 people are putting their life and their faith towards me, towards this guy that has a lot of responsibility. And I feel responsible for all of them.”

And ultimately, regardless of the external perception, Kanaan is ready to make a choice that he believes is for the long-term betterment of the team.

“If I have to take a gamble, take a gamble. And if I need to take a hit, I’ll take a hit,” he said. “I’m here to win races. That’s what Zak put me here for. That’s why I wake up every morning and I’m working on that team for 13-14 hours a day since I retired. For me, nothing is changing. Bring it on. Bring the distractions.”