Theo Pourchaire will contest the majority of the remaining races on the IndyCar schedule for McLaren in place of David Malukas, the team has confirmed.
However the Sauber reserve driver will miss the championship’s showpiece event, the Indianapolis 500 at the end of this month.
Pourchaire made his debut for the team at the Grand Prix of Long Beach as a substitute for Malukas, who was injured in a pre-season cycling accident. He finished 11th in his first race and returned for the following round at Barber Motorsport Park.
Following the latter McLaren announced Malukas would not join the team as planned. Ahead of this weekend’s Indianapolis Grand Prix the team has confirmed Pourchaire as his replacement.
The Formula 2 champion said the series “has some of the best racing in motorsport” and he is eager to tackle the 12 remaining races he will compete in.
“This is a special opportunity and I am committed to learning and improving as we get on track each race weekend,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed my first two races with the team, and I know we have plenty of potential in front of us.”
Callum Ilott originally took Malukas’ place for the season-opening round at St Petersburg and the non-championship event at The Thermal Club. However clashes with his World Endurance Championship programme for Jota Porsche ruled him out of Long Beach and this weekend’s round.
McLaren team principal Gavin Ward said Pourchaire “proved to be a quick learner, and we believe his skillset and learning mindset will support his development as he gets more comfortable racing in the IndyCar series. Now, it’s about continuing to grow and turning those learnings into results alongside the number six team.”
This article will be updated.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
IndyCar
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at RaceFans…