Lundgaard released by Arrow McLaren for 2027
Arrow McLaren drops its best driver of 2026 to make room for Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist, leaving Lundgaard and Siegel to find new seats.
Lundgaard released by Arrow McLaren for 2027 is the big IndyCar story that nobody saw coming. Christian Lundgaard has been formally cleared to negotiate with rival teams after Arrow McLaren removed the exclusive window they held on him. The Dane is now a free agent, and he is one of the hottest properties on the entire IndyCar market.
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Lundgaard released by Arrow McLaren after strong 2026 season
Arrow McLaren has given Christian Lundgaard formal clearance to sign with a new team. The Dane was officially informed within the last 24 hours that the exclusive negotiating window the team held through the end of the season was removed, meaning he is free to sign elsewhere without needing approval from Arrow McLaren.
That is quite something when you look at his numbers this season. Lundgaard’s achievements with Arrow McLaren since joining the team in 2025 are remarkable. On top of the wins he has earned since May, 11 podiums from 28 races speak to his consistent output on road and street courses. He recently took pole at Mid-Ohio too, as we covered in our Lundgaard Mid-Ohio pole report.
The 45-year-old Scott Dixon and 34-year-old Felix Rosenqvist join the team, replacing 24-year-old Lundgaard and 21-year-old Nolan Siegel for 2027. The signing of Scott Dixon, who won Indy in 2008, and Felix Rosenqvist come with multiyear contracts to drive full-time alongside Pato O’Ward.
Why McLaren is building something special
This is the key question. Why drop a driver who is third in the standings? Team principal Tony Kanaan was honest about it. Kanaan said the goals are to win the IndyCar title and the Indianapolis 500. That means he needs drivers with the experience of doing both.
Zak Brown said the new lineup will “strengthen every aspect of our program.” He added that McLaren have their eyes firmly set on the Championship as well as winning the Indianapolis 500 to secure the Triple Crown in the Papaya era.
This connects to something our editor flagged here at rnt-motorsports.com. The announcement came after Will Buxton teased a massive announcement on X.com that sent the whole motorsport world into a frenzy. On Monday morning, Buxton posted a message on X saying that very big news would break. Online, many quickly assumed it would be an announcement about Max Verstappen’s future. Buxton no longer works in Formula 1. The Brit moved to IndyCar after his long stint as the familiar face of F1TV. So the big news turned out to be an IndyCar story, not an F1 one. But it is a story that confirms McLaren is building something very special across all of motorsport.
That connects to another big McLaren move in F1. Max Verstappen’s long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase will leave Red Bull in 2028 and move to McLaren as Chief Racing Officer. Verstappen has previously stated in an interview that he would stop racing in Formula 1 when Lambiase leaves, so the news could be seen as the clearest indication yet that the Dutchman will walk away from the sport within the next few years. Will Verstappen follow his engineer to McLaren? Only time will tell. Check our full breakdown on the breaking Verstappen announcement story for more context.
Where does Lundgaard land next?
The good news for Lundgaard is that options exist. Lundgaard should be one of the hottest names on the market, with Dixon’s seat at Chip Ganassi Racing open, Rosenqvist’s seat at Meyer Shank Racing open, and uncertainty around Marcus Ericsson’s seat at Andretti Global.
Lundgaard is the favourite to land Dixon’s former ride, the one he has had for 25 years at Chip Ganassi Racing. That would be a neat twist. The man who was pushed out to make room for Dixon could end up sliding straight into Dixon’s old seat.
And Kanaan himself called Lundgaard released by Arrow McLaren a “gamble.” Kanaan admitted: “Releasing Christian is a gamble. I will let him go, and if he lands in one of the two top seats that are available, people are going to look at me next year.”
Siegel also seeking an IndyCar seat for 2027
Nolan Siegel has been steadily improving in IndyCar and he is looking to continue that development once he leaves Arrow McLaren at the end of the season.
The young Californian has settled into a groove since his home race at Long Beach in April, where the No. 6 Chevy is commonly found finishing inside the top half of the field. From Long Beach through Mid-Ohio, Siegel has been reaching a higher level than previously seen.
Siegel has been linked to Juncos Hollinger Racing. He hopes to remain in IndyCar in 2027, but a deal is not yet in place. Siegel could still have an affiliation with McLaren if the team opts for a technical partnership with Juncos Hollinger Racing.
The bigger picture: McLaren and the Lambiase connection
Take a step back and look at what McLaren is doing across the whole of motorsport. In F1, they have been pulling key people away from Red Bull for years now. In IndyCar, they are now signing the biggest legends available. This is not a team that is standing still. This is a team that is building for dominance. The Lundgaard released by Arrow McLaren story is just one part of a much bigger picture.
It is worth noting that this strategy of three extremely seasoned IndyCar drivers is a massive departure from McLaren’s existing strategy of placing bets on young, marketable drivers with only a few years in the sport, raising the average age of their team from 24 to 36 years old in 2027.
For more on the full 2027 IndyCar lineup that triggered this story, read our detailed piece on Arrow McLaren’s 2027 IndyCar lineup. You can also follow the latest IndyCar standings and race results on our Mid-Ohio IndyCar coverage page.
