McLaren reportedly pursued Valentino Rossi before signing Ryan Hunter-Reay for the 2026 Indy 500

Arrow McLaren reportedly pursued seven-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi to run the team's fourth entry at the 110th Indy 500 in 2026. The team eventually went with IndyCar veteran Ryan Hunter-Reay, with the official announcement coming on Thursday, November 13.

However, something did not line up with Hunter-Reay's signing. In July this year, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown had teased that he was working on getting a rookie on board to replace Kyle Larson for the Greatest Spectacle of Racing next year and described it as an "unreal" signing, should the deal be seen through.

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

However, apart from Arrow McLaren Team Principal Tony Kanaan being asked about it once later during the season, with him politely denying sharing any more details than Brown already had, there was not much talk about it. However, reporter Jenna Fryer shared in an X post after the Ryan Hunter-Reay announcement that Brown was talking about Valentino Rossi when he teased the rookie signing.

"Now that it didn't happen, the "huge" Indy 500 one-off entry that Zak Brown was pursuingawas ...." Fryer wrote, with a GIF of Valentino Rossi attached.

Valentino Rossi achieved more than anyone could have imagined in the MotoGP world, but what was even more impressive was his versatility in racing different machinery, whether two-wheelers or four-wheelers. The Italian took part in several Ferrari F1 tests between 2004 and 2008, with then-Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo claiming that Rossi could be a "great" F1 driver.

In 2019, Valentino Rossi was also part of a famous crossover with seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, wherein the two riders swapped their regular vehicles, with Rossi piloting the Mercedes F1 car, and Hamilton driving the Yamaha MotoGP YZR-M1 bike.

In May this year, he also attended F1's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix as a special guest in the McLaren garage. Moreover, there was another crossover in September, when Lando Norris, who has idolized the Italian MotoGP legend since a young age, met him at the San Marino GP.

Why McLaren went with Ryan Hunter-Reay for the 2026 Indy 500

Ryan Hunter-Reay at the 2014 Indianapolis 500 Trophy Presentation - Source: Getty

McLaren's IndyCar squad, Arrow McLaren, already has three full-time drivers locked in for 2026 - Pato O'Ward, Christian Lundgaard, and Nolan Siegel. For the last two years, Kyle Larson was the fourth entry at the Indy 500, as the NASCAR Champ attempted to conquer The Double on Memorial Day.

However, after two failed attempts, he chose not to return in the short term. Ryan Hunter-Reay, who has been an Indy 500-only driver with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing for the last two years, struck up a conversation with Arrow McLaren earlier in the year, before reconvening towards the end of the season.

Team Principal Tony Kanaan, who was teammates with RHR during his driving years, shared why the 2012 IndyCar champion and 2014 Indy 500 winner was the perfect fit at the team.

"Ryan is a great addition to the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team and just who we want in that fourth car this coming May alongside Pato, Nolan, and Christian, "Kanaan said in the press release. "He's an Indy 500 champion, and if you look at our history at McLaren, that's the reason we field 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 to win this historic event. Ryan is one of the best teammates I've ever had, and we're very excited to get started with him and have him part of our team into next May."

Ryan Hunter-Reay was in contention to win the 109th Indy 500 this year with DRR before a mechanical issue on his No. 23 Honda ended his race. In 2026, he will pilot the No. 31 Chevrolet for the men in Papaya Orange.

Edited by Yash Kotak