IndyCar: Who will drive for Arrow McLaren Racing SP in 2020?

In their first IndyCar season as Arrow McLaren Racing SP next year following the partnership between Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports and McLaren, which two drivers will drive for the team?

Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports team co-owner Sam Schmidt was adamant that his team’s contract with Honda ran through the 2020 IndyCar season.

The next thing you know, they formed a partnership with McLaren to form Arrow McLaren Racing SP, and given McLaren’s toxic recent history with Honda, this caused the team to switch from Honda engines to Chevrolet engines ahead of next year.

Soon after this news was confirmed, James Hinchcliffe was tipped to return to the team next year. He, Schmidt and McLaren CEO Zak Brown all stated that they looked forward to him returning; after all, his contract runs through the 2020 season.

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Several weeks later, Schmidt reiterated that Hinchcliffe is set to return to the team next year.

But two months later, there have still not been any comments from Honda about the matter. This could be significant given the 32-year-old Canadian’s deep ties to the manufacturer, and staying on board with Arrow McLaren Racing SP would result in the loss of these ties.

There is still serious speculation that Hinchcliffe will not drive the #5 Chevrolet next year. In fact, during the second practice session for the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca last month, NBC Sports Network’s Robin Miller stated matter-of-factly, “He is going to be in a Honda.”

The most rumored Honda seat for Hinchcliffe has been a third seat at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. The team are interested in expanding to three cars, and Hinchcliffe would be a great candidate for expansion given his lucrative Honda deal.

The bottom line is that if Honda wants to retain him badly enough, they’ll retain him.

And given what happened ahead of the season finale, Hinchcliffe may very well not mind departing the team for which he has driven since the 2015 season.

According to AP News, after Hinchcliffe took part in nude photo shoots for ESPN The Body Issue, tensions rose within the team, as those within title sponsor Arrow were blindsided by his participation and angered by the use of their logos in these photographs and their overall association with the spread given their ties to the driver. Shortly thereafter, team president Jon Flack left the team, as did the team public relations representative.

But that’s not the worst of it as it pertains to Hinchcliffe. Indy Lights champion Oliver Askew was reportedly asked if he wanted to replace the driver of the #5 Honda in the season finale, a request he ultimately declined.

Suffice it to say that the only “confirmed” element of Arrow McLaren Racing SP’s 2020 lineup isn’t even confirmed.

So come Sunday, March 15, 2020 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, who will be behind the wheel of the #5 Chevrolet and who will be behind the wheel of the #7 Chevrolet?

First, let’s start with who won’t be.

Conor Daly, who drove for the team in relief of Marcus Ericsson in the season’s penultimate race at Portland International Raceway, has already confirmed that the team have informed him that they will not be signing him for next year.

Ericsson, meanwhile, is off to Chip Ganassi Racing as their third driver in what has been the most shocking move of Silly Season thus far. He is set to team up with five-time champion Scott Dixon and fellow Swede Felix Rosenqvist next year.

So who will be?

Hinchcliffe is obviously still in the mix. That almost goes without saying. He has a contract to remain with the team, so if Honda can’t find him a landing spot at one of their teams, he will be slated to return for his sixth season behind the wheel of the #5 car.

Askew has to be in the mix as well considering the fact that he earned a $1 million scholarship by winning this year’s Indy Lights championship, even though he did decline the request to replace Hinchcliffe in the season finale.

With everything considered surrounding this situation, him declining that request shouldn’t even be treated as a relevant factor. Not only that, but the team could very well have two open seats for 2020 as opposed to one, which naturally increases the chances of the team signing him.

Santino Ferrucci is another interesting option for Arrow McLaren Racing SP. Ferrucci has confirmed that he has a deal to return to Dale Coyne Racing next year in place, but he has also confirmed that he will explore all of his options before making a decision.

After a stellar rookie season, which included a fourth place finish in the oval championship standings driving for a team that entered the season with just four top four finishes in oval races since becoming a team in 1984, he could be quite an appealing option.

Former Formula 1 driver Felipe Nasr tested for the team in July at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, so he is also definitely on the team’s radar, especially given the entry of McLaren in the decision-making process and the fact that they are seeking a big-name talent to place in one of their two cars.

Two-time IMSA Prototype Challenge champion Colin Braun is also reportedly looking to compete in IndyCar after attempting to do so in 2019 but ultimately coming up short. According to RACER, he has received calls from multiple teams in the series already. He, too, could make for an interesting addition to the Arrow McLaren Racing SP roster.

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So which two drivers will be under contract to drive for Arrow McLaren Racing SP when the 2020 IndyCar season rolls around? At this point, it’s still all up in the air. Fortunately, there are still more than five months remaining until the season is scheduled to get underway.