Zak Brown says that Juan Pablo Montoya was always Arrow McLaren SP’s top choice to drive for the team in this year’s Indianapolis 500 in May.
Montoya is a two-time winner of the event. He was victorious as a rookie in 2000 before moving on to compete in Formula 1 with Williams and McLaren, and then NASCAR with Chip Ganassi Racing. He won the Indy 500 for a second time on his return to the open-wheel championship in 2015.
Last month, Brown confirmed that Montoya will drive for McLaren in this year’s race in a third car alongside full time IndyCar drivers Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist.
- Read also: Montoya to join Arrows McLaren SP for 2021 Indy 500
“We’ve got two younger, less experienced drivers,” explained the McLaren CEO. “We wanted someone experienced with a big name that could win the race that had McLaren history and there was only one of those guys, so it was very clear.”
Up to now Montoya had been under contract with Penske to compete in the IMSA championship, but the 45-year-old Colombian is now a free agent for 2021.
“It was our second attempt at getting him to compete with us at the Indy 500. Since he was out of contract, we were able to secure his services this time,” Brown said.
“I tried to get Juan Pablo to race for us in 2018, but he was under contract and he wasn’t allowed to race.
“We’ve always been a Juan Pablo Montoya fan,” he told Motorsportweek.com. “I think everybody is. He’s probably one of the most naturally talented drivers we’ve ever seen.
“He drove for me at United Autosports in Le Mans a couple of years ago, so I got a chance to work with him there.
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