Hinch-clipped: McLaren boss calls IndyCar change business

O’Ward won nine races while claiming the 2018 Indy Lights title. The 20-year-old Mexican is considered a future star and spent much of last season in Red Bull Racing’s junior program until his release last month. The Arrow team had already decided to replace Marcus Ericsson with Askew, a 22-year-old American who won seven races and the Lights title this season.

Brown said the IndyCar organization could not overlook the opportunity of developing the two young drivers.

“It was a decision based on what we thought was best for our race team,” Brown said. “We’ve chosen them because we think they are bright stars for the future.”

Hinchcliffe has six career IndyCar wins, three driving for Schmidt. The Oakville, Ont., native won the pole for the Indianapolis 500 in 2016, a year after a near fatal crash at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway prematurely ended his first season with Schmidt. He also failed to qualify for the Indy 500 in 2018.

He said in a Thursday statement he was “shocked” to learn he would not be driving the No. 5 car next season and noted the poor timing. He’d been repeatedly told by Brown and Schmidt that the final year of his contract was being honoured once McLaren came aboard, but his termination came during the off-season with almost all rides taken.

“Obviously it’s very late in the game, but my team is working flat out to try and salvage a full 2020 IndyCar campaign,” Hinchcliffe said.

Brown intimated it was not a financial decision to take on two cheap, young drivers — Askew has bonus money from the “Road to Indy” ladder system that pays for the Indy Lights champion to race three IndyCar races including the 500 — and that the organization knew there would be backlash in benching Hinchcliffe.

Although Hinchcliffe is clear to find another job, Arrow will owe him the balance of anything he doesn’t recoup from another job.

“We will be honouring the balance of his contract, we will continue to pay him. Obviously race car drivers like to race, so I understand his disappointment,” Brown said. “We’ve got three driver salaries and two drivers in the cars, but commercially the team is well funded and we’ve got some partners already signed. Within James’ fan base, and we understand how popular he is, we took the decision knowing there were going to be some unhappy James fans. But there are also some people excited to see two Indy Lights champions and the youngest lineup.”

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AP Sports Writer Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report

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Jenna Fryer, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Hinch-clipped: McLaren boss calls IndyCar change business

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