How Arrow McLaren finally built a team that succeeds beyond Pato O’Ward

Mexican driver Pato O'Ward joined Arrow McLaren for the 2020 season and instantly became the lead driver of the team, often carrying the Papaya team on his shoulders. However, things changed during the 2025 season, with Christian Lundgaard pushing the Mexican driver.

Pato O'Ward sits in second place in the championship, 121 points behind Alex Palou. While the championship is still mathematically possible for the McLaren driver, it's a steep task and would require three consecutive bad performances from the Spaniard.

In the past, none of O'Ward's teammates have been able to finish anywhere near the #5 Chevrolet drivers in the championship. However, this year, Lundgaard is indeed in the Top 5 in the championship. Let's have a look at the factors that helped Arrow McLaren build a car that succeeds beyond O’Ward.

Pato O'Ward has carried McLaren since joining the team in 2020

The Mexican driver joined the team in 2020, with rookie Oliver Askew as his teammate, and dominated him. While O'Ward finished 4th in the championship, the rookie only managed to finish P19.

Unlike F1, IndyCar doesn't have the dynamic of having a No.1 driver. However, that became real at Arrow McLaren, where Pato O'Ward was the only one pushing the team forward. His teammates didn't contribute much, not that the Papaya team wasn't supporting the other driver, but O'Ward's performance made it that way.

NTT INDYCAR Series Java House Grand Prix of Monterey - Source: Getty

It remained the same for the next few years, where the Mexican finished miles ahead of Felix Rosenqvist, Alexander Rossi, and Nolan Siegel in the championship.

Christian Lundgaard's arrival at Arrow McLaren changed the dynamic

Following the Alex Palou controversy around the Arrow McLaren contract, the Papaya team had an unsettling year in 2024, with Callum Ilott, Theo Pourchaire, and Nolan Siegel swapping throughout the season for the No.6 Chevrolet.

Coming into 2025, Arrow McLaren secured the services of Christian Lundgaard, who instantly challenged the Mexican driver. O'Ward, who hadn't been challenged, had a worthy teammate who pushed him beyond the limits.

Lundgaard was second in the championship after the first four rounds, ahead of O'Ward, as the Danish driver scored three podiums. While the performance tapered off in the middle part of the season, Lundgaard scored podiums at Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca.

Pato O'Ward had to step up his game after the first four races and started gaining ground on the Danish driver. The Mexican’s podium at Indy 500 & Gateway, along with wins at Iowa and Toronto, and other Top 5 finishes, took him ahead of Lundgaard in the championship.

“I think with Christian coming to the team, let's face it, Pato had some tough team-mates, but not at this level. It made Pato have to adjust, and it takes time,” said Tony Kanaan, via The Race IndyCar podcast.

Having a strong point of comparison (in the form of a teammate) is hence crucial, as seen at McLaren's F1 team, where Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are consistently pushing each other.

Arrow McLaren’s car development over the winter

The IndyCar chassis has been in use for well over a decade, and being a spec series, there's only so much a team can change. However, it also means that any minor improvements can lead to a huge step in the performance index.

Tony Kanaan explained how Pato O'Ward had been overdelivering with the car and pushing it beyond the limits.

“I think Pato in the past, more times than less, carried the team on his back. I know that's our job as drivers, but sometimes Pato put a car in the top five and the car [only] belonged in the top 15,” said Kanaan.

“But then while he was there, he would make a mistake and not finish a race because he was on the limit, trying to go over the limit to keep it there,” he added.

However, the changes made coming into 2025 made it so that O'Ward didn't have to drive over the limit, and also made it easier for a driver like Lundgaard to step in and start performing straightaway.

Tony Kanaan’s arrival as team principal

Former Arrow McLaren team principal Gavin Ward left the team after the 2024 season, with IndyCar legend Tony Kanaan taking over as the deputy team principal, and eventually being announced as the TP before the start of the 2025 season.

NTT INDYCAR Series Sukup Race Weekend - Source: Getty

Tony Kanaan, with Zak Brown as the CEO, has worked out brilliantly as a combination for Arrow McLaren, with a clear leadership idea. The team has scored a record number of podiums this season, and is the lead Chevrolet team as Team Penske has struggled.

What's next for McLaren? The new factory and the surprise Indy 500 entrant

Arrow McLaren currently works out of the Schmidt Peterson Coffman Road facility in Indianapolis, which was built to run 1-2 full-season entries. With McLaren buying out Schmidt Peterson’s stake in the team, and moving to three full-time entries & one off Indy 500 entry, the old facility was no longer enough.

McLaren bought Andretti's old facility, which spans over 86,000 square feet, and will move in before the next season. Zak Brown has also hinted at a possible star to replace Kyle Larson for the Indy 500, but has been secretive about his identity.