McLaren has announced that it will return to full-time IndyCar racing for the 2020 season in partnership with Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports and Chevrolet.
The team will be named Arrow McLaren Racing SP and enter two Chevrolet-powered cars in the 2020 championship. Former Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de Ferran who is the racing outfit’s current sporting director will lead the team. It will be independent of the McLaren Formula One team. ESPN reports this will be the first time McLaren competes full-time in the IndyCar championship since 1979.
“This team provides McLaren with the right synergy as a strategic partner for our return to the sport. We believe together we can help each other achieve our mutual ambitions,” McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown said. “We come to IndyCar in full respect of the sport, our competitors, the fans and the task ahead.”
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McLaren has made one-off appearances at the Indy 500 in 2017 and 2019 with Fernando Alonso in a bid to help the Spanish driver achieve his aim of securing motorsport’s Triple Crown with wins at the Monaco Grand Prix, Le Mans 24 Hours, and Indy 500.
The British company has reportedly been eyeing a full-time campaign in the IndyCar championship since they spectacularly failed to qualify for this year’s race.
“IndyCar is a natural fit for McLaren, given our legacy and determination to succeed at the top levels of international motorsport,” De Ferran said. “Our ambition, over time, is to consistently compete for wins and championships. We acknowledge the challenge ahead of us but McLaren is committed to this partnership and to supporting the team as a whole.”
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