We've Got Another Round of McLaren Musical Chairs In IndyCar; Alexander Rossi Out, Christian Lundgaard In

There's going to be another change at Arrow McLaren when the 2025 IndyCar Series gets underway, and it's the latest in a series of changes in the game of musical chairs that we've seen at the team over the last few months.

It was revealed Tuesday that McLaren and 2016 Indianapolis 500 champion Alexander Rossi will mutually part ways at the end of this season, his second with the team.

Rossi joined the team in 2022 to replace Felix Rosenqvist who now drivers for Meyer Shank Racing.

In his place, will be 22-year-old Christian Luundgaard who spent the last couple of years with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and was the 2022 Rookie of the Year.

While he's still early in his IndyCar career, Lundgaard already has a win, two poles, and three podiums to his name.

Lundgaard is a solid replacement for Rossi who never seemed to hit the highs a lot of people expected when he jumped in a papaya-colored racecar, but man, I can't believe how many changes we've seen at McLaren over the last couple of months, let alone the last couple of years.

It's easy to forget that before the season started, the McLaren lineup was supposed to consist of Pato O'Ward in the No. 5, David Malukas in the No. 6, and Rossi in the No. 7.

A biking mishap put Malukas out of commission before the first race of the season in St. Petersburg, and he was replaced by a few different drivers until the team decided to stick with Theo Pourchaire after the Indy 500.

But, it was only a few races after that the team announced that Pourchaire was out of the No. 6, and talented youngster Noah Siegel was in for the rest of the season and beyond.

McLaren will have a solid — albeit fairly young — lineup next season, but let's take a moment to acknowledge the true victims in all of this: those who keep by t-shirts for drivers who keep leaving the team.

They're going to have quite the wardrobe.