McLaren's IndyCar star Christian Lundgaard salutes sister F1 team's generational run

Arrow McLaren driver Christian Lundgaard recently spoke about McLaren's success in F1, led by the driver duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The team has scripted a brilliant turnaround since the beginning of 2023, when it found itself struggling to score points.

Unable to steer the team in the right direction, McLaren CEO Zak Brown, who served as the Team Principal then, handed the team's reins to Andrea Stella. Under the new boss's leadership, the team came to grips with the technical side of things, and Norris recorded his first F1 win in 2024 at Miami, before adding three more to that tally by the end of the season. Teammate Piastri grabbed two wins too, helping McLaren win its first constructors' championship in 26 years by beating Red Bull.

Christian Lundgaard, who joined the McLaren family in 2025 with its IndyCar team, Arrow McLaren, praised the F1 team for its growth.

"A huge shoutout to Zak and the entire Formula 1 team. From where they were 20 months ago to now to winning the constructors' championship last year, winning the first race (Australian GP), winning the second race (Chinese GP). Obviously, missing out in Japan, but it puts a lot of pressure on us," he said on the Pit Pass Indy podcast. [40:40 onwards]

The 23-year-old also spoke about the fateful day of March 23. McLaren's F1 team secured a 1-2 at the Chinese GP, with Oscar Piastri winning over Lando Norris. On the same day, Arrow McLaren started IndyCar's Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix in 1-2, with Pato O'Ward on pole, followed by Christian Lundgaard.

However, the duo couldn't defend their positions from reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou, who won the race. Nonetheless, O'Ward and Lundgaard secured a double podium for Arrow McLaren.

"We obviously wanted to get a double 1-2 from Thermal. We didn't get it, but at the end of the day, having four McLaren cars on the podium in one weekend was pretty special," Lundgaard added.

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What Zak Brown said after Christian Lundgaard secured McLaren's second IndyCar/F1 double podium

Christian Lundgaard drives his No. 7 Chevy at IndyCar's Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Source: Getty

The weekend of April 11 to 13 witnessed another IndyCar/F1 double-header. While McLaren's F1 team raced at the Bahrain GP, its IndyCar team competed in the 50th edition of the iconic Long Beach Grand Prix in California.

Oscar Piastri took a lights-to-flag victory under the lights in Bahrain, his second of the season. Teammate Lando Norris, who started sixth on the grid, finished on the podium as well. On the other side of the world, Christian Lundgaard was busy scripting a brilliant comeback of his own.

The No. 7 Chevrolet driver gambled with the lesser-preferred tire strategy, which turned out to be the best strategy. He went from 12th on the grid to P3 on the podium.

"An impressive drive by Christian for P3 in the 50th year racing on the streets of Long Beach. Pato took home P13 and Nolan finished P20. Let’s keep pushing @ArrowMcLaren," McLaren CEO Zak Brown wrote in an X post.

Lundgaard has previously mentioned how the heroics of Norris and Piastri have inspired him to replicate McLaren's F1 results in IndyCar. He is the best-performing Arrow McLaren driver after the first three races, placed third in the standings.