Still recovering from surgery on his left wrist, David Malukas will miss Wednesday’s Indy 500 Open Test and the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach next week.
Callum Ilott, who filled in for Malukas in the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg season opener and the $1 Million Challenge at The Thermal Club, will drive the No. 6 Dallara-Chevrolet for Arrow McLaren in Wednesday’s nine-hour session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
In a release, the team said it’s “evaluating other options and will announce the No. 6 driver for Long Beach in due course.”
Ilott will be testing alongside Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi and two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Larson during the Indy 500 Open Test, which has been pushed up to a 9 a.m. start Wednesday because of inclement weather. The two-day test will be streamed on Peacock.
During an interview last month, Malukas told the Indianapolis Star that he was aiming for a return at Long Beach. He joined Arrow McLaren after two seasons with Dale Coyne Racing, but he has yet to race a lap in his new ride since a mountain biking accident in February.
Malukas dislocated his left wrist and tore multiple ligaments in the crash, which he said occurred while admiring the view.
Though Ilott has been on standby for the team, he will be unavailable for Long Beach because of his full-time job in the World Endurance Championship (which will race at Imola next weekend).
The Indy Star and Associated Press have reported that F2 champion Theo Pourchaire has been doing a simulator testing with Arrow McLaren with the possibility of making his IndyCar debut in place of Malukas at Long Beach.
