Arrow McLaren SP (formerly Schmidt-Peterson) debuted in 2001 in the Indy Racing League under the name Sam Schmidt Motorsports. The team competed full-time in its first two seasons, performing reasonably well in the midfield. From 2003 to 2010, the team only participated in the Indianapolis 500.
Return to the IndyCar Series
Since 2011, the team has been active full-time in the NTT IndyCar Series, achieving seven victories to date. The team’s first win came in 2013 when Simon Pagenaud triumphed on the streets of Belle Isle. The most recent victory was in 2018, with James Hinchcliffe winning the race at Iowa Speedway.
Evolution of the Team Name and Partnership with McLaren
From 2013 to 2018, the team was known as Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. In 2019, the name changed to Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. Starting in 2020, the team became known as Arrow McLaren SP, following the announcement in late 2019 that Sam Schmidt and Ric Peterson had entered into a partnership with the British racing team McLaren.
In 2019, McLaren, in collaboration with Carlin, attempted to qualify with Fernando Alonso for the 103rd Indianapolis 500. Unfortunately, the team failed, and on Bump Day, Alonso was bumped out by Kyle Kaiser of Juncos Racing, who was just slightly faster.
New Name, New Line-up, New Engines
In 2020, the team underwent significant changes. Not only did the name change, but the driver line-up and engine supplier were also revamped. The team switched from Honda engines to Chevrolet power units. Patricio O'Ward replaced James Hinchcliffe and finished fourth in the standings that year, demonstrating his potential as a future championship contender. After securing two wins in 2021, he returned to Arrow McLaren SP for the 2022 season.
The 2019 Indy Lights champion, Oliver Askew, made his debut in 2020 in the #7 car for Arrow McLaren SP, which by then held a majority stake in the team. Askew took over the seat from Marcus Ericsson, who had moved to Chip Ganassi Racing. However, before the end of his rookie season, Askew was informed that he would be replaced in 2021 by Felix Rosenqvist, who joined from Chip Ganassi Racing. Rosenqvist raced full-time alongside O'Ward in 2022, and the team made a serious bid for the title with O'Ward in 2021.
Expansion to a Third Car in 2023
In 2023, the team expanded to include a third car, driven by Alexander Rossi. While the team did not secure any victories that year, O'Ward finished fourth in the championship thanks to seven podium finishes. Rossi ended his first season with McLaren in ninth place. Despite securing two pole positions and two podiums, Rosenqvist finished twelfth in the championship, which was insufficient to retain his seat.
2024: New Drivers and Success for O'Ward
In 2024, Rosenqvist was initially replaced by David Malukas, but the young American was injured before the start of the season and was ultimately released. Malukas was replaced by Callum Ilott and Théo Pourchaire before Nolan Siegel was signed as a permanent replacement. O'Ward started the season strong with a win in St. Petersburg and narrowly missed victory in the Indy 500. After two seasons, Alexander Rossi was sidelined and will be replaced by Christian Lundgaard in 2025.
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