"Racing has sucked": Pato O'Ward gives IndyCar a reality check about losing its roots

Pato O'Ward has voiced his disappointment with IndyCar's new hybrid power unit, which, according to him, has downgraded the quality of racing. This has been a common concern among many other drivers as well.

The hybrid PUs have added an additional 105 pounds to the cars. This has considerably changed the car's balance and driveability. O'Ward emphasized this point ahead of the Sonsio Grand Prix, saying (via Frontstretch on YouTube):

"The problem is the car doesn't let you take it on the edge maybe as much as you could in the past.

The Arrow McLaren driver bluntly spoke about how IndyCar's attempt to attract new engine manufacturers with the hybrid PUs has fallen flat. He also stressed how the series has lost its roots, that of being the most competitive open-wheel series in the world.

"If you ask me, 'Has it (hybrid) been a good addition?' No. I think that's the root to all of our racing problems. The whole point is to make the racing... like we did the hybrid to find a new engine manufacturer. That obviously hasn't happened, and it seems like the talks have been kind of frozen. Now we're stuck with it, but it's made the racing product worse. It is not more enjoyable to drive.

"We need to simplify our life. Why are we racing? The roots to IndyCar is that the racing is amazing. But we don't even have our roots to fall back on to.....Racing has sucked"

Apart from a front row lockout in Thermal, O'Ward has struggled in qualifying this season. He got knocked out in Round 1 of qualifying in St. Petersburg, and couldn't make it past Round 2 and into the Fast 6 in Long Beach and Barber.

Pato O'Ward's fellow IndyCar drivers agree with his stance on the hybrids

Pato O'Ward drives his No. 5 Chevy at IndyCar's Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Source: Getty

During the pre-Sonsio GP interviews, Pato O'Ward was also asked if other IndyCar drivers agreed with his stance on the hybrids affecting the quality of racing. He was presented with the example of veteran Ed Carpenter, who had questioned the hybrid's effect on performance when it was introduced in 2024.

"Yes, I've talked to many of them, veterans and very good ones, and they share the same (stance), O'Ward said via FrontStretch. "It's not a dab (jab) at what the series has done in terms of like hybrid and stuff. I know they're trying to evolve and make it better, but the problem is how we're doing it."

IndyCar has yet to make ground on getting a third engine manufacturer in the series alongside Honda and Chevrolet. The series bosses have had talks with Toyota, Porsche, Hyundai, Audi, among others. However, a concrete development is awaited.

Though O'Ward has struggled to adapt to the hybrid-powered cars, his results have been good enough in 2025 to warrant P4 in the standings after four races.