Indy 500 legend Tony Kanaan announced as McLaren team principal

The ever-revolving cast of characters at McLaren has seen a shake-up once again, as Zak Brown has promoted Tony Kanaan to serve as Team Principal of the IndyCar operation.

Kanaan, who has decades of experience racing in the American open-wheel series, has been serving as a McLaren advisor for just over two years.

Tony Kanaan becomes team principal at McLaren

On Thursday, February 20, Tony Kanaan was announced as team principal of McLaren’s IndyCar outfit going forward.

Kanaan first joined McLaren as a kind of all-around advisor, but with former team principal Gavin Ward stepping back from the team at the conclusion of the 2024 season, McLaren has been hard at work pursuing its options.

“A lot has happened since my last Indy 500 less than two years ago, to say the least,” Kanaan said of the signing.

“I’ve embraced every opportunity to grow with the team and I’m excited to officially step into the Team Principal role, and having Kevin join to take on the business side of our team is part of our winning strategy.

“We’re always looking for good people and talent to make the team stronger, and he and I will work together.”

Kanaan is referring to Kevin Thimjon, who has been hired as President of McLaren in the IndyCar realm and who will also join the McLaren Racing Executive Team.

Thimjon has leadership experience at brands like Core BTS, Lids Sports Group, and Just Marketing International, which means he’s expected to help further refine the McLaren IndyCar operation.

Zak Brown had nothing but praise for Kanaan, who has been serving as deputy team principal during Ward’s absence.

“Under Tony’s leadership, the team has been moving forward quickly, and he and Kevin will work well together to keep that positive momentum up,” Brown said.

“Our sights are set 0n how we stabilize and grow strategically while competing at the top.”

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50-year-old Tony Kanaan is something of a legend in the American open-wheel world, taking an IndyCar championship in 2004 and winning the Indianapolis 500 back in 2013.

Hailing from Brazil, Kanaan got his professional start behind the wheel in 1994, when he joined the Formula Europa Boxer championship. He worked his way up the American open wheel ladder, winning the 1997 Indy Lights championship in his second attempt before moving into CART and then, later, IndyCar. His final full-time IndyCar season was in 2019.

In July of 2022, Kanaan joined the team that was then known as Arrow McLaren and has, this season, become simply “McLaren” after Zak Brown’s McLaren Racing company bought a full stake in the team.

Speaking to the IndyCar website, Kanaan explained his role, “I’ve done a lot in various parts of this team since I got here, working with the sponsors.”

He also served as a driver advisor to the talented crew assembled by McLaren, as well as a special advisor for all kinds of various motorsport-related concerns. In late 2024, he adopted the role as deputy team principal after former boss Gavin Ward left the team.

At the time, Zak Brown said he intended to keep his options open and explore potential candidates during the off-season. He seems to have ultimately settled on Kanaan.

The first IndyCar race of the season will be taking place on March 2 at St. Petersburg, Florida.

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