Our antepenultimate IndyCar wrap-up takes us to a team that arguably was the most disappointing in 2023. Many things went right for Arrow McLaren this season, and it was getting regularly coverage. However, the team set lofty goals and missed on the most basic one in a season. In a year where teams that openly struggled won races, McLaren was shut out in IndyCar competition. No matter how you try to square it, this was a massive letdown for the group in papaya.
Patricio O'Ward
Carrying the McLaren flag into the 2023 season, O'Ward looked to ascend to a higher level this season, returning to being a championship contender after a slight step back in 2022. O'Ward flashed his skill in many races, and again showed why he remains one of IndyCar's stars for the future while also being a star of the present. However, this season went far from how O'Ward had planned.
What objectively was his best race?
Nobody had more runner-up finishes than O'Ward in 2023. The Mexican driver had four runner-up results, including two in the first two races, first at St. Petersburg and then at Texas. He didn't have to wait long for his third, which came in the Grand prix of Indianaplis the third race of the season. The fourth was a little longer of a wait. It didn't come until Gateway in August.
What subjectively was his best race?
Nobody had more runner-up finishes than O'Ward in 2023. The Mexican driver had four runner-up results, including two in the first two races, first at St. Petersburg and then at Texas. He didn't have to wait long for his third, which came in the Grand prix of Indianaplis the third race of the season. The fourth was a little longer of a wait. It didn't come until Gateway in August.
What subjectively was his best race?
St. Petersburg and Texas were two races O'Ward practically had won, but the best of them all was Texas. O'Ward had run away from the field in the middle of the race and had lapped up to third while holding a seven-second lead over Josef Newgarden in second. The late cautions brought the field together and more players into the mix. O'Ward led 123 laps, but in the lap battle with Newgarden, Newgarden ended up ahead when the caution came out and O'Ward was second again.
What objectively was his worst race?
A long pit stop due to the left rear tire not being secured at Detroit put O'Ward a lap down, and he raced like a mad man to get back on the lead lap. However, an aggressive move while passing Santino Ferrucci into the final corner put O'Ward into the barrier, ending his day in 26th.
What subjectively was his worst race?
A long pit stop due to the left rear tire not being secured at Detroit put O'Ward a lap down, and he raced like a mad man to get back on the lead lap. However, an aggressive move while passing Santino Ferrucci into the final corner put O'Ward into the barrier, ending his day in 26th.
What subjectively was his worst race?
O'Ward led the most laps in the Indianapolis 500 before an ambitious move for second on the inside of Marcus Ericsson into turn three spun O'Ward into the barrier with eight laps remaining. It was getting late in the race. There was still time left for a counter, but O'Ward made an eager move when he should not have. It cost him and that anger carried over to Detroit, where he made another mistake.
It was a pair of disappointing results and unraveled his season. He still ran well for the rest of the season, but he never posed another serious threat to the championship.
Patricio O'Ward's 2023 Statistics
Championship Position: 4th (484 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 7
Top Fives: 9
Top Tens: 14
Laps Led: 189
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 10
Fast Twelves: 12
Average Start: 6.3529
Average Finish: 7.9412
Wins: 0
Podiums: 7
Top Fives: 9
Top Tens: 14
Laps Led: 189
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 10
Fast Twelves: 12
Average Start: 6.3529
Average Finish: 7.9412
Alexander Rossi
After seven seasons with Andretti Autosport, Rossi moved to take over the #7 Chevrolet for McLaren. Looking to compete for a championship, Rossi expected to be competing as the best of the McLaren drivers. That was never really the case. The results were good, but Rossi was rarely leading this trio.
What objectively was his best race?
The only podium finish of Rossi's season was third in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Rossi spent much of the race in the top five and he had the tires late in the race to take third away from Christian Lundgaard, who had started on pole position.
What subjectively was his best race?
It was a quiet fifth-place finish for Rossi in the Indianapolis 500 as he was the third-best McLaren car for most of the race but was still running in the top ten. O'Ward and Felix Rosenqvist were regularly ahead of Rossi. When both those drivers dropped out, Rossi stepped up and earned a respectable finish for the team.
What objectively was his worst race?
Rossi had two finishes of 22nd and in consecutive races. At Texas, Rossi had a collision with Kyle Kirkwood on pit lane after his first pit stop, and Rossi lost time for repairs. At Long Beach, Rossi was running in the top ten before a suspension failure on the final lap knocked him out of the race only a three corners from the finish.
What subjectively was his worst race?
Rossi had two finishes of 22nd and in consecutive races. At Texas, Rossi had a collision with Kyle Kirkwood on pit lane after his first pit stop, and Rossi lost time for repairs. At Long Beach, Rossi was running in the top ten before a suspension failure on the final lap knocked him out of the race only a three corners from the finish.
What subjectively was his worst race?
Long Beach was the worst of the two 22nd-place finish. Texas stunk because it was early and Rossi could have found himself in the mix late, but there was no guarantee. Long Becah was at least going to be a good bounce back from Texas. Instead, it was salt in the wound.
Alexander Rossi's 2023 Statistics
Championship Position: 9th (375 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 4
Top Tens: 11
Laps Led: 8
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 2
Fast Twelves: 9
Average Start: 11.353
Average Finish: 10.941
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 4
Top Tens: 11
Laps Led: 8
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 2
Fast Twelves: 9
Average Start: 11.353
Average Finish: 10.941
Felix Rosenqvist
Rosenqvist made a sizable improvement to his results in 2022 after a rough 2021 season. In a three-car lineup, Rosenqvist faced stiffer competition. There were days he held his own, but there were still streaky periods to the Swede's season. It wasn't terrible, but it was not quite what driver nor team was looking for.
What objectively was his best race?
The caution being held at Portland for Agustín Canapino's spin meant Rosenqvist could make his final pit stop and move up to second instead of being one of the few cars trapped out before his final pit stop. This occurrence upset some drivers as Rosenqvist did pick up a few spots as the caution came before the Swede had to make an out-lap, meaning the likes of Scott Dixon and O'Ward lost positions.
Rosenqvist was always going to finish in the top five and possibly finish on the podium. It was just a slightly better finish due to race control's decision.
What subjectively was his best race?
What subjectively was his best race?
This is a little tough but I will say the second Iowa race, where Rosenqvist finished fourth. He was keeping pace was Josef Newgarden as Rosenqvist was in second. The late caution for Ed Carpenter’s incident cost Rosenqvist, as he dropped to fourth when Will Power had the better jump on the restart and Rosenqvist ran wide, allowing Álex Palou ahead.
For a driver not known for his oval prowess, it was a good year going in circles for Rosenqvist.
What objectively was his worst race?
Rosenqvist's collision with the barrier and spin late in the Indianapolis 500 left him 27th despite running much of the race in the top ten and appearing to emerge as a late contender as the race counted down the final 100 miles.
What subjectively was his worst race?
Rosenqvist's collision with the barrier and spin late in the Indianapolis 500 left him 27th despite running much of the race in the top ten and appearing to emerge as a late contender as the race counted down the final 100 miles.
What subjectively was his worst race?
It is Indianapolis because there is a world where Rosenqvist is in the top five battle late. He could have won, but it would have been difficult. Indianapolis was the best race of his IndyCar career until he had a bobble in turn one and slapped the barrier. He looked settled for this entire race and one slip cost him.
Felix Rosenqvist's 2023 Statistics
Championship Position: 12th (324 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 2
Top Fives: 4
Top Tens: 7
Laps Led: 51
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 4
Fast Twelves: 11
Average Start: 8.7647
Average Finish: 14.706
Wins: 0
Podiums: 2
Top Fives: 4
Top Tens: 7
Laps Led: 51
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 4
Fast Twelves: 11
Average Start: 8.7647
Average Finish: 14.706
An Early Look Ahead
McLaren cannot afford another winless season. I like to use this word sparingly. This was a failure for McLaren. It has been talking a big game and making big waves in IndyCar for a handful of years. To not win a race, especially when a borderline inept Andretti Autosport won twice and a sluggish Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing won one and probably should have won twice, is a terrible look for a McLaren organization that believes it can be an IndyCar disruptor.
In all fairness, in most seasons, McLaren would have won at least twice. It would have won the season opener and these words would never have been considered being typed into the World Wide Web. But for all the team's misses, there are plenty of shortcomings that should raise concerns for the organization.
McLaren led a combined 50 laps in the final 11 races of the season. It led 203 laps in the first six races. That isn't a minor change in form. The three cars went from leading just over a quarter of all the laps run in the first six races to leading only 3.448% of the final 1,450 laps run in the season.
Changes are already happening. Engineer Craig Hampson is leaving the organization. Gavin Ward has a new role. Tony Kanaan is sporting director. David Malukas has replaced Rosenqvist. McLaren has formed a strategic alliance with Juncos Hollinger Racing. McLaren hasn't been afraid to shake things up. It is almost a yearly occurrence for this team. It has all the resources to figure it out and find success, but it cannot afford to waste time.
O'Ward should be fine. This was a blip, but as we have seen O'Ward can crack under the pressure. Rossi didn't come close to being the factor we expected him to be in year one with McLaren. With Hampson leaving, Rossi will be working with another new engineer. Malukas is puzzling. The Illinois-native has shown great bursts in IndyCar, but his sophomore season was a slight step back from his rookie year. I understand good performances at Texas and Gateway are worthy of attention but he also finished 20th or worse in eight of 17 races in 2023.
McLaren is reeling from the Álex Palou news. This time a year ago we were thinking there was a chance Palou could be with McLaren in 2023 but it was 100% certain for 2024. Flash-forward and Palou turned back on McLaren to remain with Ganassi and now McLaren is suing the Catalan driver for over $20 million in damages. Things change quickly, and despite what anyone says, Malukas was far from the team's #1 option to fill out the 2024 lineup.
There will be plenty to keep an eye on this offseason let alone when next season begins. The biggest legal case over IndyCar employment is constantly developing, and it involves the most recognized team name globally in IndyCar and the current champion. It will be more difficult to not hear the news than to keep up with the case. We will wait to see how that plays out, but based on its on-track form, McLaren cannot afford a legal case to cause any further distraction.
