Pato O’Ward stood by Arrow McLaren’s approach to the Indianapolis 500 after another agonising near miss, saying the team “did everything we could” before a late yellow flag and chaotic restart derailed his hopes of victory.
The Mexican driver was a genuine contender in the closing laps of the 110th running of the race, only for a late caution to completely change the dynamic of the finish.
Felix Rosenqvist eventually claimed victory in the closest finish in Indy 500 history, while O’Ward was left to reflect on another missed opportunity at the Brickyard.
Pato O’Ward says McLaren strategy was ‘right on point’
Pato O’Ward’s weekend had already been complicated by damage to his primary car during the penultimate practice session, forcing the team to switch to a backup chassis.
Despite the setback, Arrow McLaren recovered well during the race and used fuel strategy to put O’Ward in the mix as the laps wound down.
“The strategy was right on point. We did everything we could. I think we over-exceeded with truly what we had,” O’Ward said.
His comments reflected a belief that the team had managed to get more out of the car than seemed likely after the disrupted build-up.
O’Ward admitted that another near-miss at Indianapolis was hard to take, given how close he came to finally breaking through for a win.
“It was a very long day, but definitely a disappointing Sunday because there’s really not much more for me here rather than winning.”
Yellow flag and brake issue ruin O’Ward’s late chances
O’Ward pointed to the late caution and restart as the turning point, saying it changed what had been shaping up as a straightforward fight for the win into a frantic final dash.
He also revealed that a brake issue made it impossible to match the leaders once the race went green again.
“In the end, I didn’t have fuel concerns, but I couldn’t catch the cars in front of me. I couldn’t keep up. When everybody was turning it up, I could not keep up. It was literally like having a parachute behind you, and I was helpless.”
The problem was most costly on restarts, where O’Ward felt his chances faded every time the field closed up.
“For me, I had to keep the car going in order to keep my position. Every single time we had a restart, it was basically game over and we lost positions because, like I said, we basically had a parachute behind us with the brake dragging. When you have that all day, it makes for a very long day, but that’s just how it goes.”
Despite the disappointment, O’Ward’s pace in the second half of the race was another reminder of why he’s considered one of the strongest drivers in the current IndyCar field.
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