Pato O’Ward inks contract extension with Arrow McLaren SP through 2025

Pato O’Ward is not going anywhere anytime soon. On Friday, Arrow McLaren SP announced the Mexican driver has signed a contract extension through the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season.

Since joining the McLaren family in 2020, O’Ward has blossomed into one of IndyCar’s top young drivers. After a two-win campaign and third-place points finish in 2021, he provided a glimmer of hope in what has otherwise been a difficult start to the 2022 season for McLaren by winning at Barber. He currently sits seventh in points.

“The entire team is excited that Pato is on board for the long haul,” said team president Taylor Kiel. “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.”

His involvement with McLaren has also extended beyond the IndyCar programme with tests for the Formula One arm, including the Young Drivers Test in Abu Dhabi in late 2021. While the path to F1 is open, he would have to earn the seat by enjoying sustained success in IndyCar. Until then, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown is more than happy to have him and fellow IndyCar driver Colton Herta as the team’s TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) drivers.

“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,” commented Brown. “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.”

O’Ward made his IndyCar début in the 2018 season finale with Harding Racing before racing part-time the following year for Carlin. Prior to entering the top ladder of American open-wheel racing, he won the 2018 Indy Lights championship with Andretti Autosport, which was preceded by the 2017 Prototype Challenge title in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. In January, he won the latter series’ Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona LMP2 class with DragonSpeed Motorsports, his second victory in the legendary endurance race.

“I am incredibly happy to have locked in my future with Arrow McLaren SP,” O’Ward stated. “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.”