The NTT IndyCar Series‘ Month of May will see another former winner participating. On Tuesday, Arrow McLaren SP announced Juan Pablo Montoya will return to the team for the second year, running the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and 106th Indianapolis 500. Mission Foods will sponsor his #6 Chevrolet.
Montoya, who won the 2000 Indy 500, joined McLaren for the 2021 GP and 500, where he respectively finished twenty-first and ninth. Both starts marked his first in IndyCar since 2017, when he had the same itinerary for Team Penske after spending the previous three years competing for the championship. His Penske stint was capped off by a strong 2015 season in which he won the 500 for a second time and finished runner-up for the title on a tiebreaker.
“I’m excited to return to Indianapolis with Arrow McLaren SP and Mission, to once again compete in a race that holds a special place in my heart – the Indianapolis 500,” commented Montoya. “I had a great experience with the team last year and look forward to building on the progress we made in 2021. I think we have a real shot at competing at the front of the field and challenging for the win.”
While 2021 was the first time Montoya was with McLaren in IndyCar, the two parties previously worked together in Formula One in 2005 and 2006. The combination won three races and finished fourth in points in 2005.
“Juan Pablo is an institution in motorsport, with two Indianapolis 500 victories and an impressive Formula One career with multiple wins for McLaren,” said McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown. “He adds experience that really benefits our team, giving us another driver with the potential to win anytime he steps into the car.”
