Ryan Hunter-Reay will join McLaren Arrow for the 2026 Indianapolis 500, completing the team’s four-car lineup for the 110th running of the event. The 2014 Indy 500 winner and 2012 IndyCar Series champion will drive the No. 31 Chevrolet alongside full-time drivers Pato O’Ward, Nolan Siegel And Christian Lundgaard. Arrow McLaren continues its tradition of adding a fourth high-profile entry to the Indy 500, having fielded stars such as Fernando Alonso (2017, 2020), Juan Pablo Montoya (2021, 2022), Tony Kanaan (2023) and recently crowned NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson in 2024 and 2025. Having competed for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing at the Indianapolis 500 for the past three years, Hunter-Reay impressed in the 2025 edition of the race, rising from 24th place to lead 48 laps before a fuel issue derailed his hopes late in the race. Now with Arrow McLaren in 2026 and behind the wheel of the No. 31 car, Hunter-Reay will return to the number he used when he debuted in IndyCar – and then in the CART series – in 2003, driving for American Spirit Team Johansson.
A winner confirmed in Indianapolis
Ryan Hunter-Reay, Arrow McLaren
Ryan Hunter-Reay, Arrow McLaren
Hunter-Reay won the Indy 500 for Andretti Autosport in one of the closest results in the event’s history in 2014, as his margin of victory over Helio Castroneves was just 0.060 seconds – the second shortest ever recorded. He had come close to getting his hands on the Borg-Warner Trophy the previous year, when he led laps 193 to 197 before eventually finishing third behind Kanaan, now Arrow McLaren team principal. Hunter-Reay, who turns 45 next December, brings more than two decades of experience to Team Papaya, with 395 career starts, 18 wins and 47 podiums since joining IndyCar. The Floridian will aim to qualify for his 18th start in “The Greatest Show in Racing.” He will also be one of five active drivers to have both an IndyCar championship and an Indy 500 victory under his belt, joining Alex Palou, Will, Scott Dixon And Joseph Newgarden. “This is an incredible opportunity in so many ways. I would like to express my gratitude to Zak, Tony and the rest of the Arrow McLaren management team for continuing this partnership and making it a reality,” Hunter-Reay said. “It’s an honor to represent and drive for one of the most iconic teams in motorsport history, an organization that spares no effort or resources in the pursuit of being at the top of the sport and, of course, winning the Indy 500. After coming so close to a chance to win in last year’s 500, I am more than prepared and ready to make the most of this partnership.” Team principal Tony Kanaan, who won the Indy 500 in 2013 and now leads the Arrow McLaren effort, said Hunter-Reay’s track record made him the ideal addition to the expanded team. “Ryan is a great addition to the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team and is exactly who we want in that fourth car next May alongside Pato, Nolan and Christian. He is an Indy 500 champion – and if you look at our history at McLaren – that’s why we are fielding a fourth car, to have one more contender in the mix. He is a proven winner, and we know he will have a strong chance of winning this historic event. Ryan is one of the best teammates that I have ever had and we are very happy to start with him and have him on our team until next May.
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