David Malukas released from Arrow McLaren

Arrow McLaren announced Monday they released 22-year-old driver David Malukas from his NTT INDYCAR SERIES contract.

Malukas signed with the team ahead of the 2024 season and began conducting off-season tests for Arrow McLaren.

That all came to a screeching halt in the middle of February after he injured his left wrist in a mountain bike accident less than a month before the season started on March 10. He needed surgery for the injury.

The team said they released Malukas “due to him being unavailable for the entirety of the season to date, with no confirmed return date, as a result of a left wrist injury, which occurred February 11, in a mountain biking incident.”

Arrow McLaren also revealed no confirmed final driving plans for the No. 6 team yet. The team has just under two weeks until the next round at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on May 11. However, they said they will determine this “in due course.”

Callum Ilott, now in his fourth INDYCAR season has split driving duties with reigning Formula 2 champion and INDYCAR rookie Theo Pourchaire.

Ilott finished 13th-place result in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. He filled in during the non-points Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge. He also filled in during the Indianapolis 500 Open Test earlier in April.

Pourchaire finished an impressive 11th in his INDYCAR debut April 21 at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. He also raced April 28 in the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park. Arrow McLaren struggled and Pourchaire finished 22nd.

Malukas made his INDYCAR debut in 2022 for Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports after finishing second in the INDY NXT championship during his rookie season the year prior. After a 16th-place finish in his rookie Indy 500 attempt and 16th overall in the standings, the Chicago native returned to the team in 2023. Struggling to not out-pace the equipment in his sophomore season, Malukas dropped one position in the final standings. However, he came on strong in the series’ swing of short ovals with a podium at Gateway.

“The past three months have been challenging,” Malukas said. “I felt privileged to have had the opportunity to drive for Arrow McLaren and regret that it never materialized. I would have loved to have continued representing the team and its partners going forward. They have been good, and I appreciate all they have done for me.”

Malukas said he did everything to speed up the rehab process. However, he said it is taking longer than he expected.

“Every injury is different. Everybody heals at a different pace. I’ll turn my full attention to getting back to 100 percent and then prove that I am ready and able to compete to win,” he said.

The rumors about who gets to drive the No. 6 car have been fierce. The team’s split drivers have full-time commitments. Pourchaire races in Super Formula and Ilott races in the World Endurance Championship.

Pourchaire also has a lack of any oval experience, so the possibility of many drivers in the No. 6 will be a storyline throughout the Month of May and the entire season.