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“Doesn’t Add That Value” – After Axing Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren CEO Brutally Snubs Kyle Busch for Indy 500 Role

Published 10/06/2022, 1:45 PM EDT

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It takes a lot of courage to drop a big name, a serial winner from your team. Zak Brown brings that kind of ruthlessness with him. It was first seen in F1 when he mercilessly dropped Daniel Ricciardo, now the (un)lucky one is Kyle Busch.

Kyle Busch is not a novice on the NASCAR speedways. The American won the NASCAR Cup Series in 2015 and 2019, amongst many other championships wins.  He is also the all-time wins leader in NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. A great CV and driver to have for any team.

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However, Brown was not impressed. Zak Brown took over Sam Schmidt’s IndyCar team in 2020. His first major personnel shake-up in the team has come in the form of Busch.

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When asked about his decision, he saidI have not personally spoken with Kyle Busch, but you can read into that someone in our organization has. We want to make sure if we run a fourth car, we are in the mindset that we have someone who is experienced in the Indianapolis 500.

It’s such an important race… If we have a fourth car, we want it to be additive to the three cars. Bringing in someone who has not done it before potentially doesn’t add that value from an experienced point of view.

He added, “He is under consideration but has lack of experience. He has an awesome talent… but experience is at the top of the list when we decide what is going to be most important to us,” said Brown.

A major decision that could go either way. While Brown makes convincing arguments to back his decision, calling Busch inexperienced is a big call to make. Time will decide if the decision was worth it.

If not Kyle Busch, what options does Arrow McLaren have?

Kyle Busch had come up as a surprise candidate for AMSP for the IndyCar 500 after his move to Richard Childress Racing. Since that move looks unlikely for Busch, AMSP has some other names on their list.

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As per reports, Tony Kanaan looks like the strongest contender for the spot on the team. He has raced in one IndyCar race this season, finishing a respectable third.

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Other outside contenders for the team include Juan Pablo Montoya and Kyle Larson. Montoya has previously raced for the team and thus would get preference over others.

Larson on the other hand, has similar limitations as Busch – lack of experience. This makes the Californian an outside bet, at best.

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The reshuffle at Arrow McLaren makes for interesting viewing as we head toward the new season. It is going to be fascinating to see which driver the team chooses to go with.

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Written by:

Abhay Tyagi

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Abhay Tyagi is a Formula 1 Author at EssentiallySports. Although he has completed his undergrad in Law and Management, he has always been eager to venture into the exciting field of sports journalism. With a special affinity for Engineering and Speed, Abhay has always found the world of Formula 1 quite exhilarating.
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Edited by:

Pritam Priyedarshi