Arrow McLaren has announced major changes to its driver lineup for the 2027 IndyCar season.
Not only will veteran Scott Dixon will be a part of the team from 2027, confirming early reports from last week, but reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Felix Rosenqvist will join the team as well.
Dixon, the legendary 45-year-old driver who recently confirmed his departure from Chip Ganassi Racing will take over one of the papaya cars.
Ganassi offered him a multi-year contract to keep him on the team and extend his 25-year tenure, but that was turned down by Dixon so he could pursue other avenues.
By joining Arrow McLaren next season, he will give himself a new challenge while setting himself up for the possibility of earning a seventh series title.
“Joining Arrow McLaren in 2027 is an exciting next step in my career,” said Dixon. “It was a big decision for myself, for my family, and I’m looking forward to contributing to what the team, Zak [Brown] and Tony [Kanaan] are building there.
“As a New Zealander, being part of Bruce McLaren’s legacy will be special; his spirit and grit are still very much rooted in that team, and I’m excited to carry that on.”
Dixon is one of the most successful drivers in IndyCar history, earning six championships and bagging at least one victory in each of the past 21 seasons.
Virtually all of his IndyCar accomplishments have come while driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, with only a year-long stint with PacWest racing at the very start of his CART career the only time he has driven for any other team.
Two for one
As Rosenqvist joins the team as well, he will return to a squad he knows well from earlier in his IndyCar tenure.
He raced with Arrow McLaren from 2021-2024 before switching to Meyer Shank Racing for the past three seasons.
After winning the Indy 500 in May, Rosenqvist instantly went from a high-value driver up to the top tier of free agents.
MSR was seemingly not quick enough to engage in contract talks, so the Swede answered calls from his former team to come back onboard.
Rosenqvist will slot into one of Arrow McLaren’s three full time cars, and will pair up with his friend and former team-mate Pato O’Ward once again.
“I’m excited to return to Arrow McLaren next season and reunite with Pato, of course, and also Tony, Zak and the crew and engineers I worked with previously,” said Rosenqvist.
“There are a lot of familiar faces, and we’ve got an incredible lineup with Scott joining and Ryan returning for the 500. I think our collective experience will be a huge benefit. I’ve still got work to do to finish this season strong, but I’m looking forward to what’s to come at Arrow McLaren.”
The additions to Arrow McLaren mean that two of its three current full time drivers will be out of their seats next year.
Nolan Siegel will have to look elsewhere after two and a half seasons with the team, as will Christian Lundgaard.
Lundgaard in particular will be highly sought after, especially considering he has won two races this season already and sits third in the points standings.
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