Arrow McLaren’s Tony Kanaan “still feeling” the vibes from IndyCar’s St. Petersburg race

IndyCar legend Tony Kanaan recently took to his X handle to reminisce upon his performance in the 2013 St Petersburg race. Kanaan currently serves as the team principal of Arrow McLaren.

Former IndyCar champion and one-time Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan has made a smooth transition to managerial duties in his life after racing. The 50-year-old, who retired from racing after the 2023 Indy 500, has since been associated with championship contenders Arrow McLaren.

Beyond his duties within the McLaren camp, however, Kanaan remains an active social media user. The Brazilian recently took to his X (formerly Twitter) handle to reflect on his performance during the 2013 season-opener at St Petersburg, the same year when he won the Indianapolis 500. Kanaan posted three images on X and wrote:

"🇺🇸 #tbt Still feeling the St. Pete vibe. We don’t often see pics of this livery at tracks other than Indy😏. 2013, started P11 to finished in P4."

Arrow McLaren is fielding three drivers in the 2025 season, including Pato O’Ward, and newcomers Nolan Siegel and Christian Lundgaard. While Lundgaard finished eighth in the 2025 season-opening Grand Prix of St Petersburg, O'Ward had to settle for the 11th spot. On the contrary and much to the distress of his supporters, Siegel failed to complete the race. Will Power (No.12 Team Penske) and Louis Foster (No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) also failed to finish the race.

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What are Tony Kanaan's aspirations as Arrow McLaren's team principal in 2025?

Since retiring from professional racing after the 2023 Indy 500, Kanaan has taken on increasingly influential roles within Arrow McLaren. The Brazilian earlier served as the special advisor for Arrow McLaren before being elevated to team principal.

He was promoted to the role of deputy team principal after the departure of Gavin Ward in November of last year. Kanaan was finalized as McLaren's official team principal days ahead of the 2025 NTT IndyCar season-opening Grand Prix of St Petersburg.

In a press release via McLaren.com, Kanaan shared his excitement about his new responsibilities. He said:

"A lot has happened since my last Indy 500 less than two years ago, to say the least. 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 well together," Kannan was quoted as saying in the release.

Alongside Kanaan’s appointment, Arrow McLaren has restructured its leadership, with Kevin Thimjon named team president. Thimjon will focus on business operations, including finance, commercial strategy, and administration, ensuring the team’s long-term growth and efficiency.