The third-year NTT IndyCar Series driver, who takes over the No. 6 Chevrolet, will undergo surgery on Tuesday.
The outcome of the treatment, as well as the recovery period, will determine whether the Illinois native can compete for Arrow McLaren during the season opening in St. Petersburg on March 8-10, or if the team must prepare for a replacement driver.
Although the roughly one-month gap between surgery and the necessity for Malukas to drive in St. Petersburg is good, the 22-year-old has a more pressing need to consider. Malukas would like to participate in the initial testing for all drivers with the new-for-2024 hybrid chassis package, which are scheduled for February 26-27 at Sebring, but they will take place two weeks after surgery.
Most drivers got one day with the lighter chassis configuration in January at the Homestead-Miami roval, which runs without the energy recovery system that IndyCar says it will introduce in the summer, but the dedicated two-day test in the non-ERS package at Sebring — which better replicates a street course like St. Petersburg — is not to be missed.
Based on the results and recovery prediction, Arrow McLaren will determine whether to prepare a stand-in for Malukas. Zach Veach, a former Andretti Global IndyCar driver and Arrow McLaren reserve driver, is expected to be among the candidates.
