Arrow McLaren released David Malukas on Monday without him racing an IndyCar event for the team. The 22-year-old had been injured in a mountain biking accident during the offseason.
Malukas was brought onto the three-car IndyCar team in September as a last-minute replacement. This happened because two-time series champion Alex Palou broke his contract and decided not to join the team in 2024.
Malukas, who was still seeking a confirmed spot for his third season in IndyCar, got the job. Despite fulfilling McLaren’s social media and marketing requirements, he injured his wrist and tore tendons in a mountain biking mishap one month before the season’s first race.
The team initially thought Malukas would miss two races due to the accident on Feb. 11. However, when he couldn’t participate in Sunday’s race at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama, it marked his fourth consecutive absence. This triggered a clause in his contract, allowing McLaren to end the agreement.
McLaren stated that Malukas has been unable to participate in any races this season due to a left wrist injury he sustained in a mountain biking accident on February 11. He also missed the open test for the Indianapolis 500.
Malukas expressed gratitude to McLaren for the opportunity and mentioned that his recovery was taking longer than expected. He acknowledged the challenges of the past three months and regretted not being able to race for Arrow McLaren as planned.
McLaren has relied on Callum Ilott and Theo Pouchaire for the first four races, but they have other commitments in different racing series. It’s possible that both could continue to fill in for Malukas for the remainder of the season.
Ilott made his debut with McLaren at St. Petersburg and moved up to 11th place after two Team Penske cars were disqualified. However, he didn’t qualify for the heat races to participate in the $1 million exhibition race at Thermal.
Pourchaire, the current Formula 2 champion, also made his IndyCar debut at Long Beach and finished 11th. However, he struggled in the recent race, finishing 22nd. It was a tough day for McLaren overall, as O’Ward finished 23rd and Rossi retired due to a mechanical issue.
McLaren had indicated during the Long Beach race weekend that time was running out for Malukas. “The team has been very supportive of David, but unfortunately, his injury is more serious than we initially thought,” McLaren team principal Gavin Ward said.
“We’ve been focused on helping him recover, but we’ve also been working hard to ensure we have competitive drivers in the No. 6 car. However, there’s a lot of uncertainty right now, and we’re facing tough decisions. We’re trying our best to support David, but we also need to prioritize the team’s performance.”
Malukas had a strong performance in the 2021 IndyNXT races, winning seven out of 20 races and landing on the podium 16 times. He narrowly missed winning the championship to Kyle Kirkwood.
Despite primarily relying on family funds to secure a spot in the IndyCar Series with Dale Coyne Racing, Malukas managed to achieve two podium finishes over two seasons with the team.
He also demonstrated his skills at the Indianapolis 500 and showed competitiveness against Team Penske cars at Gateway each year. However, when he decided not to continue with Coyne in 2024, he wasn’t considered for a top-tier ride.
Everything changed in mid-August when McLaren discovered that Palou had opted to stay with Chip Ganassi Racing, breaching his contract with McLaren and leading to a costly legal dispute between the two parties.
With limited options in free agency, McLaren chose Malukas, although he won’t have the opportunity to make his debut due to his injury.
“Every injury and recovery process is unique,” Malukas commented. “I will focus on fully recovering and then demonstrate that I am prepared and capable of competing at a winning level.”
