“It’s a shame”: Pato O'Ward brutally slams ‘great’ Team Penske and IndyCar

Arrow McLaren driver Pato O'Ward recently spoke up about the disqualifications faced by Team Penske drivers after the qualifying session held on Sunday, May 18. The 26-year-old driver highlighted how he was disappointed with IndyCar's decision.

On Sunday, May 18, minutes after the qualifying session ended, IndyCar announced that cars #2 and #12 of Team Penske was disqualified due to failure to pass the post-qualifying inspection. This gained a lot of reaction from the fans and the drivers, and one of the drivers who spoke about the issues was Pato O'Ward.

The Arrow McLaren driver was questioned about the decision during the press conference that took place post the qualifying session. He spoke about how it was not fair to the drivers who took part in the last chance qualifying. He also pointed out that they should have been disqualified yesterday.

"I mean, they weren't accidentally doing and exactly the blowtorch right there in order to get it out. So I honestly I feel for Abel and for everybody. That did disqualifications or the last chance qualifying, you know, those cars weren't in regulations. I'm not an engineer, so I can't tell you what they were doing. How much speed that Or if it is any speed but obviously it's not in regulation. And the rule is pretty black." He said

"And those cars should have been in in the last chance qualifier, like those cars should've never you know, obviously didn't do anything in the fast 12, but they should have been brought into the LCQ because they had that yesterday I guarantee you and till someone pointed it out today. So those cars if they're to disqualify today. They should have been disqualified yesterday so it's a shame really cause I don't think they don't need to be doing that stuff like they're a great team. You know they did have great drivers. You know why why are you doing? That makes no sense." He added

As for Pato O'Ward, he qualified in 3rd place after putting in a lap of 232.089 seconds. The Mexican will start the race on the second row, which is his highest start at the Indianapolis 500 so far.

As for the #5 car driver's 2025 season, it is off to a decent start. The 26-year-old managed to secure a pole position at the Thermal Club Grand Prix and finished in second place. During the recently held Sonsio Grand Prix, he qualified in 8th place and finished the race in the same position, claiming two podiums so far this season.

However, Pato O'Ward will be looking forward to converting the third-place start into a win, as he has never won at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 is set to take place on May 25.

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Pato O'Ward opens up about participating in FP1 at the Mexican Grand Prix

Arrow McLaren driver Pato O'Ward will be taking part in Free Practice One, where he will be driving for the McLaren Formula One team as a part of his reserve driver duties. He expressed his feelings after the news was announced.

On May 8, the McLaren F1 team announced that O'Ward will be driving at the Mexican Grand Prix. In light of this, while speaking to IndyCar, the 26-year-old expressed how he felt to drive in infront of his home crowd.

"It's crazy, man. I mean, they yeah, made me feel like I was Brad Pitt in Mexico City, so I'm excited to go back and you know, seeing the fans and that's really the only opportunity that I have to race in front of my home country, so hopefully soon we'll have some info and news on IndyCar side that will be racing there." Pato O'Ward said (via IndyCar on Instagram)

Pato O'Ward has time and again voiced his opinion to get a race in his home country, but there has been no news about the same.