Indy 500 winner rumored to be Arrow McLaren's 4th entry for 2026

An Indy 500 winner is rumored to be Arrow McLaren's fourth entry for the 110th running of the race in 2026. In July this year, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown had teased "mega" plans for next year's race.

Brown revealed that he was in talks with a rookie whom he chose not to name, and that the team was planning an oval test for him.

"We've got a trick up our sleeves, and it would be so cool if it happens. This one would be unreal," Brown said. "It would be mega."

While there has yet to be an update from the team on that front, it appears that 2013 IndyCar champion and 2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay has overtaken the rookie for the fourth entry next year, which Kyle Larson had occupied in 2024 and 2025.

Reporter Marshall Pruett answered a fan's question on the RACER Mailbag about Hunter-Reay's potential Indy 500 return in 2026 with Andretti Global, with the team's fourth entry open after Marco Andretti's retirement.

"Andretti would have been wise to secure RHR’s Indy 500 services years ago, and would seemingly have a great seat to offer for 2026, but Captain America is expected to be wearing papaya orange next May in the fourth entry," Pruett wrote.

The possibility of Ryan Hunter-Reay joining Arrow McLaren for the Greatest Spectacle of Racing had also been shared and discussed by FOX reporter Kevin Lee on the Trackside podcast a few times since the 2025 season ended in August. Hunter-Reay retired from full-time IndyCar racing after the 2021 season, which was his 18th season in the series.

He started over 200 races in IndyCar, and a majority of his success came when he drove for Andretti Autosport (now Andretti Global), including his championship and the Indy 500 victory. Since 2023, he has returned for one-off appearances at the premier IndyCar race with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.

Arrow McLaren will continue with its full-time lineup in 2026, comprising Pato O'Ward, Christian Lundgaard, and Nolan Siegel.

Two racing veterans eyeing Indy 500 return in 2026

The RLL Honda of Takuma Sato at the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

Besides Ryah Hunter-Reay, two racing veterans in their 40s are also eyeing a comeback for the 110th Indy 500 in 2026. One of them is two-time winner of the race, Takuma Sato.

The Japanese driver recently took part in a two-day test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, testing new brake components for IndyCar's 2026 car and also a spec damper for the new 2028 car. After day one of the test, Sato admitted that he was hoping for a return to the Greatest Spectacle of Racing next year with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Sato qualified on the front row for this year's Indy 500 and finished the race in P9.

The other driver eyeing a return is Katherine Legge. She couldn't secure a competitive seat for the big race this year, which prompted her to consider a move to NASCAR. For 2026, Legge is in talks with an IndyCar team and a NASCAR team for a dual racing schedule.

Legge has started the Indy 500 four times, but never finished higher than P22, which was on her debut. She DNFed in her last two outings with Dale Coyne Racing (2024) and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (2023).

Edited by Yash Kotak