What is it like to become the best race car driver in the world in 2024? Well, if you ask this question to a passionate Formula 1 fan, they would rally behind the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. But, it’s one thing to dominate a particular racing discipline and be a versatile racer. This is something Hendrick Motorsports star Kyle Larson has managed to achieve so far in his racing career.

To an extent, McLaren and HMS have once again partnered to give Larson a second shot at the Indianapolis 500 race in 2025. But why is McLaren invested in promoting a driver over a different continent? And what exactly does the British car manufacturer look to achieve with this ambitious project? It turns out that apart from the business prospect; they were looking to forge a historic partnership with Rick Hendrick.

Zak Brown is also a NASCAR and HMS fan

Rick Hendrick’s HMS is NASCAR’s ultimate team producing the likes of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Kyle Larson. Dspite the massive success on the ovals of NASCAR, the racing organization was yet to spread its wings in different forms of auto racing. This is where Larson’s talent has enabled the team to push beyond its traditional boundaries. And the partnership with McLaren truly serves the purpose of helping them garner the tag of racing giants apart from NASCAR.

In return, McLaren has also found a like-minded ally that can help the British car manufacturer cater to one of the key markets in America. They are looking to expand, having gained ground in Formula 1 competing against Red Bull for the championship. A partnership with Rick Hendrick and Kyle Larson in his Indy 500 bid does help them fulfill their long-term goals.

“So we’re kind of a crossover team, if there’s such a thing. Where we’re racing in IndyCar now, we’re in Formula E, we’re in Extreme E, and we like to go racing. So I think to go racing with Rick Hendrick, who’s kind of the McLaren of North America if you’d like, just the icon in North American Motorsports. I think that’s kind of consistent with our brand.” Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren, said this on Dale Jr. Download.

It has to be noted that McLaren is the only team to have won the triple crown (Indy 500, 24 Hours of Le Mans, and F1 championship). Therefore, such an ambitious partnership only adds to their extensive portfolio. They are also looking at this partnership with a business prospect. “Ultimately, from a business standpoint, our sponsors want to see us in America as much as Formula 1 is taking off in America. I wanna have a bigger piece of America if you like,” Brown added.

However, Larson’s second bite at the historic ‘Double’ is going to be different in 2025.

Rick Hendrick and Larson will prioritize the Coca-Cola 600 over the Indy 500

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As we all know, the HMS driver found himself in a tough spot with a delayed start to the Indy 500 race due to inclement weather. With a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to run the iconic Indy Car event, the team decided to ditch the commencement of the NASCAR race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. All these efforts to see him finish P18 in the race, and after he made his way to Charlotte, the race was washed out because of unfavorable racing conditions.

This led to the debate surrounding Larson’s playoff eligibility, having deliberately missed the NASCAR event. However, they’ve assured the governing council that if they run into similar trouble, their first preference will be the Coca-Cola 600 race. Tony Kanaan is also announced as Larson’s backup if things go south.

“Hey, if we’re going to do this, we’re not going to put them in a box, and we’re not going to be late. We’re going to be here and run this race. That’s the priority.” Rick Hendrick said during the press meeting. Meanwhile, the HMS star has also agreed to these terms, “I think I owe it to my NASCAR team as well, to get here in time to try to win one of the biggest races of the season.”

For the time being, both HMS and McLaren have addressed all the concerns in allowing Kyle Larson to script a redemption story in 2025.