Arrow McLaren confirms Pourchaire for Barber Motorsports Park

The reigning Formula 2 champion, Pourchaire is fresh off making his IndyCar Series debut on the Streets of Long Beach last weekend, where he started 22nd and finished a respectable 11th while substituting for the injured David Malukas in the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.

While Malukas continues to recover from a left wrist injury and surgery following a mountain biking accident over the offseason, the team will call on Pourchaire for the second consecutive race weekend to team alongside Pato O’Ward and Alexander Rossi.

Arrow McLaren leaned on Callum Ilott early on as a stand-in for Malukas at various testing and the first two races of 2024, which included the non-points event at The Thermal Club last month. However, a scheduling clash with the FIA World Endurance Championship prevented Ilott from running Long Beach, which is why the team looked to other candidates.

Pourchaire, a reserve and test driver for Sauber’s Formula 1 team, took honors as the biggest mover at the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street circuit last Sunday. He previously shared that being contracted “to drive for the next two races, to replace David” but further noted the round at Barber Motorsports Park was dependent on the health of Malukas.

It became known over the weekend at Long Beach that Malukas still had pins in his wrist from the surgery, which is expected to be removed on Wednesday.

Arrow McLaren team principal Gavin Ward previously confirmed to Motorsport.com after the race in California that Pourchaire would be present at the scenic 2.3-mile, 17-turn natural terrain road course in Birmingham, Alabama.

Seeing Pourchaire get the chance to extend his time in IndyCar doesn’t come as a surprise considering his performance, but also the praise that followed by Ward.

“We dropped Theo in about as much in the deep end as he could be dropped,” Ward said.

“We had high hopes and I love the way he's approached the weekend. He just got built up to it. He's completed every lap and just got better and better. Really, really impressive debut. …

“The enthusiasm is infectious. You could hear it on the radio. He was enjoying himself out there and that's fun. He's just been super happy to be in IndyCar and make the most of this opportunity, so that makes everybody smile.”