IndyCar: McLaren partnership for 2020 getting closer

A partnership that would bring McLaren to IndyCar on a full-time basis for the 2020 season is reportedly getting closer and could be announced soon.

A rumor recently circulated that McLaren were looking to form a partnership with Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports for the 2020 IndyCar season to field a two-car effort.

Now the Woking-based team are reportedly in the “advanced stages” of forming a partnership, although nothing has been confirmed, including whether or not Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports are still the team with which they are aiming to form an alliance.

Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern reported this news on Twitter.

McLaren have been a focal point of each of the last three IndyCar Silly Seasons now going back to the 2017 season, but they have never managed to join the series on a full-time basis for the following year.

A partnership with Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, even though this was the basis of this year’s original rumor, was thought to be extremely challenging if not impossible for the 2020 season since Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports’ contract with Honda does not expire until the end of the 2020 season.

Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports team co-owner Sam Schmidt even stated the following, according to NBC Sports.

"“Again, we have another year on our contract with Honda. The company has stated perfectly clear they can’t be associated with (McLaren CEO) Zak Brown or McLaren, so I think that alienates us from that program.”"

Additionally, James Hinchcliffe, who makes regular appearances in commercials for the Japanese manufacturer, is under contract with the team through the 2020 season.

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All of this in itself is a massive hurdle for McLaren because their relationship with Honda resembles that which typically stems from a bad breakup.

Over their three-year stint in Formula 1 together from the 2015 season through the 2017 season, their relationship deteriorated, and Honda are no longer willing to work with McLaren in any capacity, which we saw earlier this year when they refused to supply them with engines to compete in the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

McLaren ended up aligning with Chevrolet, and two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso embarrassingly and dramatically failed to even qualify for the race.

They formed a technical alliance with Carlin for this race, and two of Carlin’s three regular cars also failed to qualify for the race, so if their reported potential partnership is actually with a Chevrolet team, it likely won’t be Carlin.

That would leave Team Penske, Ed Carpenter Racing and A.J. Foyt Enterprises. Team Penske president Tim Cindric confirmed three cars for the 2020 season, period. Ed Carpenter Racing already have a partnership, and a successful one at that, with Scuderia Corsa. A.J. Foyt Enterprises’ 2019 goal has simply been lead-lap finishes.

This situation could get very, very interesting, because it is looking more and more like McLaren’s potential partnership could really be with the currently Honda-powered Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.

Will a McLaren partnership that results in them competing in IndyCar on a full-time basis in the 2020 season come to fruition? If so, will it be with Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports after all, or will it be with a team that are already aligned with Chevrolet?