Earlier this month, in the wake of his win at Barber Motorsports Park, O’Ward hinted a new deal was imminent and this was confirmed by McLaren CEO Zak Brown mere days later. Today comes confirmation that O’Ward will stay put through to the end of 2025.
O’Ward, the 2018 Indy Lights champion, joined Arrow McLaren SP in 2020 for his first full season in the NTT IndyCar Series, and immediately shone, delivering four podiums and a pole position on his way to fourth in the championship. He also clinched Rookie of the Year honors at the Indianapolis 500 with a sixth-place finish.
Last year, O’Ward delivered his first two wins, at Texas and Detroit, took three more poles, was a championship contender right up to the final round, and was eventually classified third.
This year, the 23-year-old from Monterrey, Mexico, has scored a win at Barber Motorsports Park – meaning he has now won on an oval, a street course and a road course – and he currently lies seventh in the championship.
Outside of IndyCar, O’Ward now has two class wins in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, the most recent coming this year when he won the P2 class for DragonSpeed, sharing the car with Colton Herta, Devlin DeFrancesco and Eric Lux.
Arrow McLaren SP president Taylor Kiel said: “The entire team is excited that Pato is onboard for the long haul. He is an important part of our plan here at Arrow McLaren SP. His energy and work ethic is infectious. Having watched him develop since he joined the team, I look forward to building on these foundations to increase our performance and achieve our common goals in the years to come.”
O’Ward stated: “I am incredibly happy to have locked in my future with Arrow McLaren SP. This team has truly felt like home for me over the past three years and I can’t wait to build on our success as we compete for wins and championships. I want to thank the whole team for this opportunity. This is exactly where I want to be.”
Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO said: “Pato is an important part of McLaren’s future in IndyCar and we are happy that he will be a key part of Arrow McLaren SP for years to come. He is an incredibly talented driver who has already shown what he is capable of in IndyCar and I look forward to watching him take the next step in his promising career.”
