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IndyCar: What’s next for James Hinchcliffe after Arrow McLaren Racing SP snub?

By Asher Fair

MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 20: James Hinchcliffe #5 of United States and Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 20: James Hinchcliffe #5 of United States and Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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Now out at Arrow McLaren Racing SP ahead of the 2020 IndyCar season despite previous reports, what does the future hold for James Hinchcliffe?

James Hinchcliffe had a contract to drive for Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in the 2020 IndyCar season.

Until he didn’t.

Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, which had a contract to run Honda engines in the 2020 season, joined forces with McLaren to form Arrow McLaren Racing SP, and they switched from Honda engines to Chevrolet engines.

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With Hinchcliffe being a spokesman for Honda, this move would upset his ties to the manufacturer, provided he remained with the team.

The 32-year-old Canadian himself indicated that he would be back with the team next year, as did Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports team co-owner Sam Schmidt and McLaren CEO Zak Brown.

But that will not be the case.

2018 Indy Lights champion Patricio O’Ward and 2019 Indy Lights champion Oliver Askew are set to drive Chevrolet-powered cars for Arrow McLaren Racing SP in 2020.

Where does that leave Hinchcliffe?

Even amidst “confirmations” that Hinchcliffe was set to return to the team next year, there was always doubt. That was the case even when Hinchcliffe posted on Twitter that he was looking forward to working with General Motors again, which he hadn’t done since he was still at Andretti Autosport in the 2013 season.

During the second practice session for the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca last month, NBC Sports Network’s Robin Miller even stated matter-of-factly, “He is going to be in a Honda”. Miller also writes for RACER, which said from the very beginning that a Hinchcliffe return was not a guarantee.

Indeed, he won’t be in an Arrow McLaren Racing SP Chevrolet.

But will he be anywhere at all?

According to IndyStar, Honda and counterpart Honda Canada are willing to fund a ride for Hinchcliffe elsewhere, but their funding alone would not be enough to secure him a ride.

In other words, there’s a chance that the two-time Most Popular Driver Award winner won’t even be in the “resurgent” NTT IndyCar Series next year.

But assuming he does return, where will he end up?

He has four options, two of which can be all but ruled out right away. They are Honda-powered teams Andretti Autosport, Chip Ganassi Racing, Dale Coyne Racing and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

The first two are longshots, if even options at all. Andretti COO Rob Edwards stated at Pocono Raceway following the McLaren deal that the team signing Hinchcliffe back for the 2020 season was not out of the question.

But they have already expanded to five cars to field an additional entry for Colton Herta, and even if they form a partnership with Michael Shank Racing like they have been rumored to, Michael Shank Racing would likely stick with just one car for Jack Harvey.

Chip Ganassi Racing were slated to remain a two-car team next year. Then they went out and added a third car for Marcus Ericsson, Hinchcliffe’s 2019 teammate.  This move illustrated that sometimes you have to expect the unexpected, but a fourth car for Hinchcliffe seems to go even beyond that.

That leaves two options: Dale Coyne Racing and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, both two-car teams in 2019.

Sebastien Bourdais is set to return to Dale Coyne Racing for the fourth consecutive season and the third consecutive season through a partnership with Vasser-Sullivan. Santino Ferrucci has a contract to return to the team, but he has not committed to returning since he has been seeking other options.

Ferrucci had been rumored as a possible candidate for Arrow McLaren Racing SP and as a possible candidate for a third car at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. With the former option out of the picture, he is likely to re-sign with Dale Coyne Racing, especially with Hinchcliffe now in the mix and team owner Dale Coyne questioning whether or not he could make a three-car team work.

Here is what Dale Coyne Racing team owner Dale Coyne had to say about the matter, according to NBC Sports.

"“[Engineer] Craig Hampson has a lot of time for James Hinchcliffe. He worked with him and likes him a lot. I like James, but I’ve never worked with him, and Craig has. We have not had any conversations with him yet, but I heard he is going to call us today. I need to have a conversation, see where he is at, what support and sponsorship he has now. I’m sure Honda is supporting him. Is it enough for us to make a three-car program work?”"

The only foreseeable way that Hinchcliffe could end up at Dale Coyne Racing is if Ferrucci ends up in a third car at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, a ride Hinchcliffe himself would be in the running for if Ferrucci simply re-signs with Dale Coyne Racing. But that third car alongside Graham Rahal and Takuma Sato hasn’t even been confirmed as it is.

Here is what Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team co-owner Bobby Rahal had to say.

"“I think it’s a shame for James, especially at this late stage, because a lot of teams are set for next year. While we would love to have James at some level, we don’t have the money at this point. We’ll work on seeing what is possible if we can, but the odds are not favoring that right now…Our third deal may still be out there, but nobody has made any commitments. It could be next week, or it could be in a few months. Right now, we just don’t know.”"

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Will James Hinchcliffe have a ride in the 2020 IndyCar season? If so, will he be a full-time driver like he has been in each of the last nine years, and where will he end up team-wise?