Pato O’Ward reacts to Alex Palou’s ‘unbelievable’ Indy 500 win and Marcus Ericsson’s ‘surprising’ screw-up

The championship leader and Chip Ganassi driver Alex Palou claimed the chequered flag at the 109th edition of the Indianapolis 500, marking his first victory at the Greatest Spectacle of Racing, whereas Andretti Global's Marcus Ericsson's blunder cost him. Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward reacted to Palou's win and Ericsson's mistake.

With thirteen laps remaining in the race, the 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner found his ex-teammate Alex Palou closing in behind him, holding a fuel advantage. However, as Marcus Ericsson navigated Turn 1 slightly wide while trailing the nearly lapped cars of Devlin DeFrancesco and rookie Louis Foster, Palou seized the opportunity.

In an unexpected move, particularly given the fuel conservation Palou was presumed to require, the Spaniard executed what would ultimately be the decisive pass of the race. Ericsson was left devastated.

Speaking to FOX's Bob Pockrass, Pato O'Ward, who came home in fourth, spoke of the Spaniard's might and how Ericsson handed Palou the win.

"I gotta find out what this guy is eating, apparently not frozen blueberries. We gotta get on what this guy's on. It's unbelievable. Nothing can go bad for him," he said. (0:01 onwards)

"A restart could have given us an opportunity, but all green like that, everybody was kinda just stuck, and I am amazed, this guy's luck. I mean, he just got by Ericsson, found the lappers, and just kinda pedaled it there because everybody can't really do anything behind them," he added.

"I am surprised Ericsson screwed up. He just gave him the win there. It's a strong points day for us, but obviously, when we come back to Indy, we have just about got every single spot at least in the top five besides the win. So, better luck next year," said Pato about Ericsson's blunder.

After yesterday's race, O'Ward is now second in the championship standings with 191 points.

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Pato O'Ward had a special lid for the Indy 500, but the dream remains unfulfilled

109th Running Of The Indianapolis 500 - Practice and Previews - Source: Getty

Pato O'Ward had unveiled an Indy 500 tribute custom helmet design during Fast Friday, ahead of the qualifying weekend. He detailed that the design inspiration was drawn from his Mexican roots.

The design had several standout elements from his Mexican heritage. Prominently displayed is the logo of his sponsor, Kit-Kat, but it was the pair of eyes painted on the top of the helmet that O'Ward highlighted as his favorite detail. He even pledged that if he wins the prestigious race, he will keep the eyes on his helmet for the remainder of his career. As he turned the helmet to reveal its right side, it became clear that the design also pays tribute to his heritage, incorporating elements inspired by his roots (via IndyCarOnFox).

"This monster here is an Aztec monster from Mexico. Because I am Mexican, I wanted to do something with my heritage," he said. (0:27 onwards)

"It had 18 different mouths, and it apparently devoured everything in its path. But most importantly, it was sacrificed to create heaven and Earth," he detailed. "I feel like sometimes you need to make sacrifice in order to reach greatness, and I feel like that is what I have been trying to do here at Indy 500," he added.

The Indianapolis 500, hailed as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, was first run in 1911 and remains one of the most historic and prestigious events in motorsport. As a key component of the Triple Crown of Motorsport—alongside the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix—the race carries a rich legacy.