Arrow McLaren announced Tuesday morning that Theo Pourchaire will driver for the team for a second race this upcoming weekend.
The 2023 F2 champion made his IndyCar debut last weekend at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, impressing his team and competitors with a strong drive.
The 20-year-old had not piloted an IndyCar before the timed sessions of the race weekend, with a single simulator session and video review his only forms of preparation.
Despite that lack of experience, Pourchaire climbed from 22nd to 11th in the race. He finished as the highest placing rookie, and also gained the most positions of any driver in the field.
His performance likely helped Arrow McLaren make the decision to bring him back for a second race, although he had already been planning for that possibility since he was initially approached by the team a couple weeks ago.
Pourchaire’s services are required because the team’s contracted driver David Malukas continues to recover from a broken wrist he suffered in late February.
The timeline for his recovery was initially estimated to be six weeks, but that has dragged on longer and the extent of his injuries appear to be bigger than were initially known.
The latest word from the team did not commit to anything in the way of plans beyond this upcoming weekend, with the driver for the #6 entry for the Month of May seemingly entirely dependent on Malukas’ recovery.
“David Malukas continues to recover from a left wrist injury and surgery,” read the latest release from the team. “Arrow McLaren will maintain their evaluation of David’s health and will share updates as appropriate.”
Malukas is reported to be having the pins removed from his injured hand this week, which is a crucial step in his journey to climbing back behind the wheel.
