Arrow McLaren is reportedly hiring two talented engineers away from Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2027 IndyCar season.
Veteran engineers Chris Simmons and Ross Bunnell are both expected to move from CGR to Arrow McLaren at the end of the calendar year.
RACER reports that CGR confirmed the departures, and that both men are finishing out their non-compete contracts that extend through the end of December before officially taking on a role at Arrow McLaren.
Simmons has been in the Performance Director role at CGR through Alex Palou’s dominant run of five championships in the past six seasons.
His behind-the-scenes contributions have been particularly immense, and his departure will likely be a significant loss for Ganassi.
The engineering hires coincide with two high-profile driver acquisitions Arrow McLaren secured for next season.
Six-time series champion Scott Dixon and Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist will both race in papaya colors in 2027, and will bring talent of their own to the organization.
Each of these acquisitions will help place Arrow McLaren in a strong position for the series’ new chassis introduction in 2028.
Ending a relatively stable period with the DW12 that has lasted 14 years, IndyCar’s new IR-28 chassis will provide a long list of challenges for teams and drivers alike.
Arrow McLaren now has a more robust group of tenured people working on the car behind the scenes, which could prove to be a large advantage in the new era.
Dixon is regarded as one of the best at providing driver feedback as well, adding even more value than his impressive driving talents bring alone.
Arrow McLaren has consistently earned race wins and counts itself among the strongest teams on the grid, but is still chasing its first championship and its first Indianapolis 500 victory.
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