Arrow McLaren apologises for Siegel’s explicit outburst as wider feud rumbles on

Nolan Siegel’s extraordinary radio rant during the Gateway race at the World Wide Technology Raceway last Sunday was nothing short of spectacular.

If you missed it: on lap 83, Penske’s Scott McLaughlin took the inside line into Turn 2 in an attempt to pass Siegel, only for the Arrow McLaren driver to defend by blocking the move. Moving in reaction to an overtaking attempt by blocking is not permitted under IndyCar rules due to the safety risks involved.

Siegel was handed a drive-through penalty and, upon being told the news – and still aggrieved after being hit by McLaughlin the previous week in Detroit – erupted over team radio saying: “Bullshit, fucking bullshit, absolutely not.

“Absolutely not, you fucking take me out last race and he gets to fucking continue. No. Fuck that shit. Tell Penske to go fuck themselves!”

The expletive-laden rant quickly went viral on social media, prompting Arrow McLaren to issue a formal statement. It said: “At Arrow McLaren, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of professionalism, respect and sportsmanship – on and off the track.

“The language expressed over our radio during this past race weekend does not reflect who we are as a team.

“We do not condone that behaviour. We’ve addressed it directly with Nolan, and he is taking responsibility for his actions. Accountability is a core value at Arrow McLaren, and we expect every team member to represent our partners, fans and organisation with integrity.

“Additionally, we expect our fans and online community to act with respect and civility, and we will not tolerate hate, abuse or discrimination within our social media platforms. It is vital that we collectively maintain a safe and welcoming community for all involved.”

While profanity in motorsport is commonplace, the backlash Siegel – whose clean-cut appearance made his comments all the more jarring – received has been excessive.

But beyond the swearing lies a broader issue involving Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan, whose ongoing feud with McLaughlin has been playing out publicly on social media and should perhaps really be the source of McLaren focus – rather than Siegel’s swearing.

On 18 June 2024, McLaughlin posted on X the comment “let’s take a moment of silence for all the trees sacrificed for McLaren contracts.” It was ultimately a response to McLaren’s decision to terminate David Malukas’ deal for Theo Pourchaire only to then replace the Frenchman with Siegel.

This triggered Kanaan, who replied saying: “A shame Push to Pass didn’t have a moment of silence in St Pete… but we can take one together if you like.” This was in reference to the Penske push-to-pass scandal where both McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden were disqualified from the race in St. Petersburg.

Tony Kanaan, Arrow McLaren

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

McLaughlin had claimed he did not recall using the system to gain an advantage, but the data show he used it once for 1.9s and he accepted the penalty.

The Detroit incident this season — where McLaughlin hit Siegel — also reignited tensions, prompting another social media spat when McLaughlin mocked McLaren leadership for “still being on the hunt for beef.”

Another public and bitter exchange on the social media platform continued, with Kanaan petulantly saying: “I came looking for your team principal to have a chat, but I couldn’t find him. Oh wait…”

That, of course, relates to Penske firing its team president, Tim Cindric, managing director Ron Ruzewski, and general manager Kyle Moyer, all during qualifying for the Indy 500 after the team was found to have altered the crash structures of its cars.

It is all rather petulant. A bit like Kanaan’s reply to one person on X who had accused him of embarrassing himself. “Come visit the baby Borg and the championship trophy when you can,” he wrote.

The back-and-forth between the pair raises an obvious question: If McLaren tolerates this level of unfiltered social media ‘banter’ from its team principal, then is it not hypocritical to publicly reprimand Siegel for an emotional, heat-of-the-moment outburst on the radio?

For the meantime, McLaughlin confirmed on X that he “had a good chat” with Siegel after the race, suggesting that tensions between the two drivers have calmed. Whether the same can be said for Kanaan, however, remains uncertain.