Theo Pourchaire returns to Arrow McLaren to replace injured Alexander Rossi

Posted on by Vaseline

In a season-long saga that grows stranger by the day, Arrow McLaren has reconnected with fired driver Theo Pourchaire; the 2023 Formula 2 champion who replaces Alexander Rossi in the No. 7 Chevy at this weekend’s IndyCar Toronto street race. Rossi broke his right thumb during opening practice on Friday afternoon.

Because Pourchaire traveled from his native France (he posted a social media post yesterday afternoon about his stay in Grasse on the French Riviera), the 20-year-old will miss Saturday morning’s second practice session and will jump straight into the car for qualifying this afternoon at 2:45 p.m. Arrow McLaren said in a statement that Rossi has returned to Indianapolis to begin his treatment and recovery process. He hopes to return for the next IndyCar race on Aug. 17 at World Wide Technology Raceway.

More: Alexander Rossi breaks thumb in Toronto crash, misses IndyCar race

Pourchaire’s return to Arrow McLaren comes a month and two days after he was ousted from the No. 6 car that the team had said a month earlier would see him drive for the final 12 races of 2024. Although the parties had recently signed a multi-year deal, the intricacies of the contract gave Arrow McLaren the freedom to pull Pourchaire out of the cockpit at any time, mimicking the freedom the Sauber Formula 1 team had to recall its reserve driver to the F1 world at any time.

Following the Road America round, where Pourchaire followed up his 10th-place finish in Detroit with a 13th-place finish, presumptive Indy NXT title contender Nolan Siegel informed the IndyCar paddock of his immediate desire to move up to the highest level of American open-wheel racing. It caught the attention of Arrow McLaren sporting director Tony Kanaan, who had been captivated by the 19-year-old’s talent after spending time with him during the Last Chance Qualifier for the Indy 500 in May. Within days, with Siegel delivering a class win to McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Siegel had signed a multi-year deal to race the No. 6 car for the remainder of 2024, 2025 and beyond. Just hours before leaving for Laguna Seca, Pourchaire was informed he would no longer have a seat.

McLaren were supposed to continue paying him for the period they were required to under their contract, but just as quickly as Pourchaire returned to the IndyCar circuit following David Malukas’ crash during his mountain bike career, which left him on the bench for four months, he was sidelined again.

Insider: Why Arrow McLaren replaced Theo Pourchaire and gave Nolan Siegel a multi-year contract

This week, Pourchaire lashed out at his Arrow McLaren firing in an interview with French publication AutoHebdo, noting that he was “disgusted” with the way the process had been handled. He also claimed in a statement posted on Thursday that he was “disappointed at how grossly inaccurate (his) words and comments portrayed (his) interview” — a “Q&A” that allowed him to cast doubt on Arrow McLaren’s financial viability, alleging that Siegel’s family had purchased his car, that Rossi’s replacement for 2025, Christian Lundgaard, would provide a major undisclosed sponsor, and that Pourchaire was merely “collateral damage in a purely financial story.”

The AutoHebdo story has since been removed from the website.

“While I was surprised by Arrow McLaren’s decision to remove me from the car for Laguna Seca, we ended on amicable terms,” ​​Pourchaire’s statement read Thursday. “It is disappointing not to be racing with the team, but they have honored and respected all aspects of the contract, and Zak, Gavin (Ward) and Tony (Kanaan), along with the rest of the team, have been fully supportive of me and my desire to return to IndyCar or other racing.

“There is no doubt about the stability of Arrow McLaren in its partnerships and their funding, so for AutoHebdo to include that in my interview is absolutely incorrect. I am grateful for the time I have spent with the team. There are no hard feelings and I hope this helps to correct the perception that exists about the team.”

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