INDIANAPOLIS — Pato O’Ward is staying with Arrow McLaren SP through the end of the 2025 season, the team announced Friday morning at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The extension of the 23-year-old driver from Monterrey, Mexico solidifies the foundation of the team’s driver lineup. A decision on the other two drivers will be made “in due course” Arrow McLaren SP President Taylor Kiel said Friday morning.
“The entire team is excited that Pato is onboard for the long haul,” Kiel said. “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.”
O’Ward made his NTT IndyCar Series debut in 2018. Since then, he has won three IndyCar Series races including 2021 at Texas Motor Speedway and Belle Isle in Detroit. Most recently, O’Ward drove to victory at Barber Motorsports Park on May 1.
He was also Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year in 2020, when he finished sixth. Last year, he finished fourth in the Indianapolis 500. He finished fourth in last year’s Indy 500.
“I am incredibly happy to have locked in my future with Arrow McLaren SP,” O’Ward said. “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.”
As part of O’Ward’s new contract, he will serve as a Formula One test driver for the McLaren Formula One team. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said both O’Ward and Colton Herta of Andretti Autosport will have F-1 tests later this season.
“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,” Brown said. “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.”
On Thursday, Arrow McLaren SP announced it would build a new racing facility in Whitestown, Indiana — between Indianapolis and Lebanon, Ind.
Construction is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2022.
The new facility will become operational in phases between 2023 or early ’24. The facility will be located north of Indianapolis in Whitestown, Ind.
Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, announced the news during an appearance at the Indiana Global Economic Summit Thursday.
With Arrow McLaren SP running three full-time entries in the NTT IndyCar Series in 2023, the team is looking to expand for the long term. McLaren’s commitment underlines the importance of IndyCar and North America, the new building will more than double the size of the current facility, with over 97,000 square feet of space.
Pato O’Ward (IndyCar)
The new facility will also provide a significant number of additional, high-quality jobs, across a range of categories.
Sustainability will be a core focus for the design and construction from the outset, with ecological features focused on the well-being of our people.
The new facility will combine modern office space with technical areas, workshop space, logistics and transport areas, and even a dedicated space for the team to practice pit stops. The building will also feature a gym with an emphasis on sports science, allowing all employees to focus on their physical and mental wellbeing on and off the track.
The facility will also look to the future, with focus on advances in technology and engineering, that still shows respect to McLaren’s history in Indianapolis and motorsport pedigree. McLaren’s advanced development programs, such as Accelerator & Engage, will feature heavily at the facility.
McLaren Racing is looking to begin site preparation and construction in August or September, with an estimated build time of just over 18 months.
“Part of our long-term strategy for Arrow McLaren SP is to relocate the team to a new facility fit for the future,” Brown said. “This is both a clear sign of our commitment to IndyCar and also to the community of Whitestown, the City of Indianapolis, and the state of Indiana, which has been the home of IndyCar since the sport began.”
Keyword: O’Ward Signs With McLaren Through 2025