Arrow McLaren driver Alexander Rossi had to sit out the IndyCar street race at Exhibition Place due to a broken right thumb. This injury occurred during practice when his car hit a tire barrier and then slid into a concrete wall. Rossi, the 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner, has already returned to Indianapolis to begin rehabbing his thumb.
French driver Theo Pourchaire stepped in for Rossi, marking his sixth start of the season. Pourchaire arrived at Toronto’s Pearson Airport shortly before qualifying and posted a lap time of 1:01.6071 in the No. 7 Chevrolet, earning him a 26th place starting position.
It remains uncertain how long Rossi will be sidelined, but the IndyCar series has a three-week break following Sunday’s race.
The next event is scheduled for August 17 near St. Louis.
Pourchaire, the reigning F2 champion, had originally planned to race in Europe this year. However, his plans shifted to IndyCar when McLaren enlisted him as an injury replacement for David Malukas. After a brief stint with McLaren, Pourchaire was unexpectedly released from the team, only to return when the opportunity arose due to another driver’s availability.
Meanwhile, Rossi had already been informed in June that he and McLaren would part ways at the end of the season.
