Brown: Hulkenberg 'towards the top' of McLaren IndyCar list

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Zak Brown says F1 super-sub Nico Hulkenberg is "towards the top" of Arrow McLaren SP's list of candidates to fill the seat of the third car the IndyCar outfit intends to run in the series in 2023.

Hulkenberg, who is currently Aston Martin F1's reserve driver and who last raced full-time in F1 with Renault in 2019, has come to terms with the fact that his career as a Grand Prix driver is now behind him.

As the German driver contemplates his motorsport future, a potential opportunity to join the ranks of IndyCar has emerged.

Hulkenberg will test next week with Arrow McLaren SP at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama, an outing provided by the IndyCar for evaluation purposes only.

But Brown is confident that Hulkenberg could become AMSP's top pick when the time comes for the IndyCar team to field a third car in the American series.

"We’re testing Nico on Monday," said Brown. "I think IndyCar rewards aggressive drivers, I consider Nico to be a driver who gets up on the wheel, as they say, an American term.

"Very excited to see him, I think he’ll enjoy it, Fernando [Alonso] enjoyed IndyCar, Marcus Ericsson’s enjoyed IndyCar."

Brown says that AMSP will likely enter a third car at next year's Indy 500, but there will be no full-schedule effort until 2023.

"We definitely won’t run a third full-time car next year, we will run a car at Indianapolis and we intend to run a car at some point later in the year in anticipation of a full-time program for a third [car] in 2023," said the McLaren Racing boss.

"Nico wants to see what IndyCar is about, we’ll see how Nico gets on, that’ll be part of the process, once we pull the trigger on that third car who might be in that car and Nico’s right towards the top of that list."

Hulkenberg's involvement with McLaren has come about as a result of a recommendation from McLaren F1 team boss Andreas Seidl who oversaw the German driver's victorious participation at Le Mans in 2015 with the works Porsche LMP1 team.

"Andreas introduced me to Nico," said Brown. "I knew Nico, but they’ve had some good history. Andreas helps when and where he can if I need a favour, so he definitely helped tee up Nico."

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As for the 34-year-old former F1 driver, the Hulk is excited to see where his IndyCar test takes him.

"Of course I'm excited to go and drive again," he says. "I haven't been behind the wheel for I think it's pretty much a year now – since Nurburgring last year [with Racing Point]. That crazy last minute step-in!

"I'm excited, and I still feel I have a couple of good laps in my right foot. So it's finding out about the [Indy] car.

"I've watched the last couple of races, and my heart is in single-seater racing. Obviously F1 is not going to happen, so you look for the next best alternative, and IndyCar is definitely interesting."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.