Following a 2024 season that was, in his own words, ‘inconsistent’, Pato O’Ward looks for a better 2025 with McLaren. The new season will also see a new team principal, with former Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan.
Being in the mix for the championship, O’Ward eventually ended up in fifth in the standings with three victories. Unfortunately there was also a significant amount of points spilled, the Arrow McLaren driver admitted.
“I would say performance-wise, good days were great, bad days were horrible. It just seems to be the name of the game for us the last few years because I just don’t think we’re at the level where we need to be yet in terms of reliability. I’ve still made my fair share of mistakes.
“There hasn’t been one thing that it’s like, hey, let’s just fix that, and it’s not simple because you go to these places and you’re so on the edge because if you’re not on the edge you’re 20th. Those joker cards, you will have to use them once or twice during the year, but you try and minimize that.
“But I just think for us, we’ve had too many of those instances where we’re just throwing away points really. Cleaning that up and making our bad days better will have a significant impact in how we’re looking at the end of the season really.”
Arrow McLaren needs to be prepared for what season brings
Asked about whether there was something McLaren could do in order to minimise the inconsistencies in 2025, O’Ward answered.
“I mean, first off, development in the performance of the race car. I do think now that there wasn’t a lot of hybrid testing we’ve actually had a chance to hopefully find some good things to improve in the areas where we’re lacking the most in terms of circuits or whatever.
“You can’t always — a season will always have its challenges. It’s never going to be perfect. It’s not going to be how you always want it to be. But you have to be as close to perfect as you can if you want to be a champion. You have to be close to perfect in an Indy 500 in order to win that race.
“All it takes is just make sure that you’re well-prepared for the challenges that are coming ahead, because if you go into it being, I just want a chill season, that’s probably going to be a boring and slow season for you.”
Being in a high-pressure situation is ‘such a privilege’
The Indy 500 runner-up is however grateful to be in the position to need to be ready for anything. The Mexican driver says this means they’re fighting at the top.
“When you’re fighting at the top, there’s always going to be drama. There’s always going to be different highs and lows of emotions because that’s ultimately what makes it so special and entertaining for other people, as well.
“I just think we need to be ready for that. And taking a page out of Andrea’s book, when you think about it, I think it’s such a privilege to be in such a high-pressure situation because that means you’re doing something well, and that’s what we’re going to try and do.”
Tony Kanaan welcomed as new team principal
With Gavin Ward stepping down from the team the day-to-day operation is now in the hands Tony Kanaan. O’Ward thinks the former IndyCar champion will do well as the leader of McLaren in 2025.
“My job is to drive a race car and try and kind of help lead the team in terms of where we need to go,” O’Ward said. “Engineering-wise and what we need. But I think Tony is as qualified as anybody to be leading this group of people that — yes, he was a racing driver and he still says he’s a racing driver, but I’d call him retired.
“He is and has knowledge, experience of everything. He can dip his toes into marketing and communications. He can dip his toes with all the partners. He can dip his toes with his opinions with the drivers, especially with Nolan, that he’s coming into the team.
Siegel could profit of Kanaan’s experience
O’Ward sees a role for Kanaan in mentoring Nolan Siegel specifically. Siegel joined the team after the musical chairs that was Arrow McLaren’s #6 entry in 2024. O’Ward himself is now the team’s most experienced driver after Rossi left for Ed Carpenter Racing.
“I know he did a couple races last year, but I think he will be a very good mentor for him, as I’m trying to be. It seems kind of weird, I’ve always been the baby of the team but now I’m the old guy. I want them to succeed, as well, because them succeeding means that… I know that’s just going to drive me forward and make me better. And when we’ve got two or three cars fighting, it’s very different to having one car fighting at the front. And ultimately that’s what you need in order to keep up with three strong cars.
“But easier said than done. But I trust the decisions that have been made, and I told Zak I’m completely behind everything that has been done. And I’m always up to take on something else if there is an area that needs a little bit of attention and help.”
