McLaren make shock driver swap as Theo Pourchaire deletes Instagram post
Théo Pourchaire at IndyCar's 2024 Detroit Grand Prix
In an unexpected move, Arrow McLaren have dropped Theo Pourchaire just a month after signing the Frenchman and will instead race Indy NXT driver Nolan Siegel in a multi-year deal.
With David Maluka sidelined earlier this year having injured himself in a cycling accident, McLaren called up Pourchaire for a one-off at the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Theo Pourchaire dropped by McLaren in latest driver change
Excelling as he made up the most positions of any driver, he continued to deputise for Malukas before McLaren opted to part ways with the 22-year-old and days later signed Pourchaire to complete the season.
A month on though, he too has been given his marching orders.
The news appears to have come as a surprise to the 2023 Formula 2 champion who earlier in the day had been posting in social media about his excitement at the upcoming IndyCar event.
“I can’t believe I’m gonna race on the legendary Laguna Seca this weekend,” he wrote in a now-deleted post. “Can’t wait to be there for the Grand Prix of Monterey.”
He was informed shortly after creating that post about McLaren’s decision by the team’s special advisor Tony Kanaan.
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Arrow McLaren will instead race Siegel, billed as one of the “hottest prospects on the up-and-coming side of IndyCar and the North American racing scene” by team principal Gavin Ward.
He added: “Stability and sustained growth are key to our long-term game plan here, and this is a significant step in that mission.
“First, I want to thank Theo for his time filling in on the number six car with us in recent weeks.
“We’ve been working through musical chairs all season, and ultimately, making this change to Nolan now that he’s available gives us the chance to build a foundation for the future.
“He is a young, talented driver with an immense amount of experience at this stage of his career and we’re excited to continue on the upward journey together.”
19-year-old Siegel will be in the No.6 car at this weekend’s IndyCar race in Monterey.
As for Pourchaire, Ward insisted: “This has got nothing to do with how he was driving or working with the team.
“We all really like Theo and his attitude coming into the team. But we need to set ourselves up for long-term competitiveness.”
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