Ex-McLaren star blames 'fatigue' for average IndyCar return

Meyer Shank Racing’s David Malukas has claimed 'fatigue' was the main factor in his qualifying result ahead of the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey.

Malukas is yet to complete a single race in IndyCar this season, following his mountain bike accident back in February, but he will get his chance this weekend at Laguna Seca.

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Although he was originally signed to race for McLaren, an uncertain recovery timescale resulted in the American driver being dropped from the team without climbing into their cockpit.

However, Meyer Shank picked up the 22-year-old and he managed to qualify 12th for Firestone GP of Monterey during his first race back in the series.

MALUKAS Transfers into the Fast 12. Let’s Go! 👏🏻

Next up: FRO in Group 2. #FirestoneGP // #DRVPNK pic.twitter.com/FZpwPxf7w0

— Meyer Shank Racing (@MeyerShankRac) June 22, 2024

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Malukas: A little bit fatigued

Despite being the catalyst for McLaren’s rollercoaster musical chairs in 2024, where four different drivers have signed on to the #6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Malukas has had a positive return to the sport.

In his first competitive outing for Meyer Shank, the American 22-year-old managed to put in a lap to secure a position inside the Fast 12, however, he wasn’t able to progress any further.

In a post-qualifying interview, Malukas put his performance down to ‘fatigue’ as he has been out of the competition for a number of months following surgery, as a result of the mountain bike accident.

"Going through the practice sessions obviously the pace was really far down but there was so much going on, not really getting laps in," he said.

“So many question marks going into it and finally we got a clean lap, we put one into it and that’s all we needed.

“We made it to the Fast 12 and started to make a few mistakes, here and there again just getting a little bit fatigued just being out of the car for so long.”

Despite a promising starting position for the race, the gruelling race consists of 95 laps around the 2.238-mile Laguna Seca circuit.

As such, Malukas sees the race as an opportunity for a good result.

“Tomorrow’s going to be a totally different beast, it’s a tackle, it’s all going to be all about survival, definitely making sure we can survive and keep this position for 95 laps."

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