James Hinchcliffe to drive for McLaren SP IndyCar team in 2020
James Hinchcliffe will stay on with what will become McLaren Racing SP into the 2020 IndyCar Series season
McLaren's new partnership with what is currently Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsport means a switch from Honda to Chevrolet engines.
Hinchcliffe, an SPM driver since 2015, has long-standing ties with Honda and well-placed sources had suggested American Honda and Honda Canada would buy the 32-year-old Canadian out of the last year of his current contract to place him with another Honda-powered squad.
But team boss Sam Schmidt has confirmed that agreement has been reached for Hinchcliffe to stay put.
"We're very pleased James is staying, absolutely," Schmidt told Autosport, "although I'm not sure why there was all that speculation.
"Yes, it was unfortunate that we had to change engine supplier - unfortunate for us, unfortunate for him - but we had to make a change in order to join forces with McLaren, and the pros far exceeded the cons there.
"James had a year left on his contract with us, and I always wanted the continuity of going into next season with at least one established driver with measurable experience and talent and wins under his belt.
"So there was willingness on both sides to continue as per our contract."
Schmidt said the question over who will drive second car in 2020 remains "wide open."
Marcus Ericsson, the ex-Formula 1 driver who joined Arrow SPM at the start of this season, has remained a 'third driver' for the Alfa Romeo F1 team.
In that capacity he was called to Spa-Francorchamps this weekend to be on standby should Kimi Raikkonen's pulled muscle prevent him from driving in the Belgian Grand Prix.
Ericsson's last-minute replacement for this weekend's Portland IndyCar race is Conor Daly, who despite having never even driven the track on a simulator has qualified just 0.02 seconds behind Hinchcliffe as they secured eighth and ninth on the grid.
Schmidt said Hinchcliffe's confirmed presence eased the pressure on who to pick as his team-mate.
"James staying on allows us to run another veteran if the right opportunity comes up, or a pure rookie if it's the right one," he said.
"Obviously you'd like to pick up a driver with some level of experience who has showed promise but honestly it's wide open for that second seat right now."
Asked if one of those contenders for the #7 seat included current incumbent Ericsson - and whether the Swede will return for the IndyCar season finale - Schmidt replied, "Absolutely he's a contender, and yes, Marcus will be back with us for Laguna Seca."
On the subject of whether new partner McLaren would be happy with a Hinchcliffe-Ericsson line-up, Schmidt replied: "Yes - and that's another thing that seems to have got lost or out of control in the media since the McLaren announcement.
"There's no equity ownership; Ric [Peterson] and I own the team 100%.
"Thank God [partner] Arrow were able to look at the big picture because they had exclusive naming rights, but they agreed to step aside and share those naming rights which was a huge first step."
Arrow SPM tested reigning IMSA SportsCar Championship Prototype champion and ex-F1 driver Felipe Nasr at Mid-Ohio last month.
Nicholas Latifi, whose father owns a stake in McLaren, has also been mooted as a potential contender for a McLaren SP 2020 seat but is also in contention for a Williams F1 race seat.
IndyCar Portland: Herta beats Power to pole, Newgarden down in P13
IndyCar 2020 calendar revealed, Richmond returns and Pocono dropped
Daytona 24, Hour 3: Cadillac leads Acura and Porsche
The #01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac leads the Acuras of Meyer Shank Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing after three hours of action in the 61st Daytona 24 Hours.
Hughes "happy to feel a nudge" over the line from Evans after Diriyah FE energy shortage
McLaren Formula E driver Jake Hughes says he was "happy to feel a nudge" from Mitch Evans in the Diriyah E-Prix, which pushed him over the finish line for fifth.
Daytona 24, Hour 1: Acura leads, BMW in trouble early
Tom Blomqvist lead the opening hour of the Daytona 24 Hours aboard the Meyer Shank Racing Acura, as BMW became the first of the GTP manufacturers to hit trouble.
F1 champion Button "definitely interested" in NASCAR road course outings
The 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button says competing in NASCAR Cup races on road courses is something he is "definitely interested in".
Nigel Mansell’s greatest F1 and Indycar drives
It’s 30 years since Mansell won the Formula 1 world title and then headed off to do battle in America. Here are his best races – and the Briton’s memories of them
How Ericsson achieved Indy immortality as Ganassi's main man stumbled
Chip Ganassi Racing team was strong again in the Indianapolis 500, with poleman Scott Dixon and reigning champion Alex Palou leading almost three quarters of the race between them. But when dominator Dixon was penalised for pitlane speeding, ex-Formula 1 driver Marcus Ericsson stepped up to score the biggest win of his career and seize the IndyCar points lead
Ranking the top 10 IndyCar drivers of 2021
In an enthralling 2021 IndyCar campaign, the series bounced back from its COVID-19 truncated year prior and Alex Palou defeated both the established order and his fellow young guns to clinch a maiden title. It capped a remarkable season with plenty of standout performers
How F1's other IndyCar exile finally unlocked his potential
Romain Grosjean's swashbuckling rookie year in IndyCar captured the imagination of many in 2021. But another ex-Formula 1 driver whose potential was masked by five years of toil in, at best, middling machinery also enjoyed a breakout year in 2021 - winning twice and finishing sixth in points. Here's how Marcus Ericsson finally delivered on his promise
How Ganassi's relentless new champion outfoxed IndyCar's best
IndyCar sophomore Alex Palou stunned by overcoming team-mate Scott Dixon and the rest of a white-hot field in 2021. He was consistently fast and crucially showed a level head, rebounding well from setbacks to put himself in a near unassailable position entering the final round
Have Harvey and RLL formed IndyCar’s next winning match-up?
Despite appearing to have an IndyCar job for life with Meyer Shank Racing, Jack Harvey’s departure and move to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing sparked plenty of debate. However, Harvey's and RLL's combined strengths could prove to be a winning combination - if they get the balance right
Remembering Dan Wheldon and his last and most amazing IndyCar win
Saturday 16 October marks the 10th anniversary of Dan Wheldon’s death. David Malsher-Lopez pays tribute, then asks Wheldon’s race engineer from 2011, Todd Malloy, to recall that magical second victory at the Indianapolis 500
Why Kyle Kirkwood is America's new IndyCar ace-in-waiting
Kyle Kirkwood, the record-setting junior formula driver, sealed the Indy Lights championship last weekend. But despite an absurdly strong junior career and scholarship money, his next move is far from clear
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.