We are getting into the final IndyCar Wrap-Ups, and we are getting into the race winning teams. After not winning a race in 2023, Arrow McLaren had a significant bounce back, winning three times. One of those might have been a gift, but McLaren still had strong days. It did have rough patches. Its season started rather slow. Too often did it feel like all the success came from one driver. When the team was off, everyone was off. It was not a bad season, but McLaren was not really pushing for a championship, something it expects to be doing.
Patricio O'Ward
After four runner-up finishes in 2023, it did not take long for O'Ward to get a victory. He technically won the first race, but it wasn't on the road and weeks after the checkered flag had flown. However, good days would come for the Mexican driver. He had some stellar outings to show he still has what it takes in IndyCar. Mechanical issues did befall his season, as well as a few mental errors. This was better than the year before, but it is ok to be wishing for more.
What objectively was his best race?
O'Ward won three races, one of three drivers to win three races this season. O'Ward won at St. Petersburg, Mid-Ohio and the first Milwaukee race. The St. Petersburg victory was awarded to O'Ward after Josef Newgarden and Team Penske was disqualified for a rule infraction of manipulating the push-to-pass system. The Mid-Ohio victory came after leap-frogging Álex Palou in the final pit cycle. At Milwaukee, O'Ward drove a splendid race and won over Will Power.
What subjectively was his best race?
Mid-Ohio was probably his best drive of the season as O'Ward and Palou went at it for the final third of the race and neither could give an inch, but the most satisfying victory must be Milwaukee. Days after being disrespected when IndyCar CEO Mark Miles suggested O'Ward was not popular enough for a race in Mexico City, O'Ward beat down the entire IndyCar grid. It was a statement victory at the best possible time.
What objectively was his worst race?
O'Ward lost an engine at Gateway after only 42 laps and he finished 26th.
What subjectively was his worst race?
O'Ward lost an engine at Gateway after only 42 laps and he finished 26th.
What subjectively was his worst race?
No one was more heartbroken after a race than O'Ward after finishing second in the Indianapolis 500. He was less than a mile from victory entering turn three when Josef Newgarden made a daring pass around the outside in turn three and it stuck. Newgarden was gone. O'Ward could not counter, and for the second time in three years, he was runner-up. It was an outstanding drive, and in no ways a bad performance, but we only saw one driver truly heartbroken after losing a race this season. This was crushing. O'Ward might have won over the crowd, but glory again escaped him.
Patricio O'Ward's 2024 Statistics
Championship Position: 5th (460 points)
Wins: 3
Podiums: 6
Top Fives: 6
Top Tens: 10
Laps Led: 189
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 4
Fast Twelves: 8
Average Start: 8.529
Average Finish: 10.118
Wins: 3
Podiums: 6
Top Fives: 6
Top Tens: 10
Laps Led: 189
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 4
Fast Twelves: 8
Average Start: 8.529
Average Finish: 10.118
Alexander Rossi
After a good first year for Arrow McLaren, Rossi needed to make a big step forward in 2024. That didn't really happen. He more or less matched his 2023 output, which was good, but not great. While O'Ward won races, Rossi wasn't really in the conversation. There wasn't a race where Rossi was the clear McLaren leader and leading the entire field. He could finish in the top ten, but not be a regular in the top five, and now changes are coming for 2025.
What objectively was his best race?
Rossi's only podium finish was third at Laguna Seca. Pit strategy looked to be in his favor before it wasn't and the team made a pit stop under caution, gifting control of the race to Palou.
What subjectively was his best race?
Indianapolis was again one of Rossi's best races and it looked like he had a real shot for his second Indianapolis 500 victory. He was the best Arrow McLaren driver for most of the race. A decision to stop the earliest on the final round of pit stops proved to be costly. Rossi had to watch his fuel in the sprint to the finish. He couldn't keep up with the leaders, and he was fortunate to finish fourth.
What objectively was his worst race?
An unsecured tire on a pit stop at Barber Motorsports Park took Rossi out of the race and he finished 25th.
What subjectively was his worst race?
An unsecured tire on a pit stop at Barber Motorsports Park took Rossi out of the race and he finished 25th.
What subjectively was his worst race?
It is the race Rossi missed. A broken wrist in Friday practice at Toronto took him out of the car, ending a streak of 142 consecutive starts to begin a career. Worst of all, Rossi finished one point outside of ninth in the championship. If he starts at Toronto, he gets at least five points.
Alexander Rossi's 2024 Statistics
Championship Position: 10th (366 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 1
Top Fives: 3
Top Tens: 9
Laps Led: 109
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 2
Fast Twelves: 5
Average Start: 10.625
Average Finish: 10.438
Wins: 0
Podiums: 1
Top Fives: 3
Top Tens: 9
Laps Led: 109
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 2
Fast Twelves: 5
Average Start: 10.625
Average Finish: 10.438
Nolan Siegel
Nobody saw the 2024 season playing out like this for Nolan Siegel. Committed to Indy Lights, Siegel was looking to be in a title fight with Jacob Abel and Louis Foster. The door opened for a handful of IndyCar races with Dale Coyne Racing, and Siegel was set to run on all the weekends that did not have Indy Lights races. However, the driver carousel at McLaren opened up an opportunity, and his relationship with Zak Brown saw him end up making the move to IndyCar earlier than expected.
What objectively was his best race?
Through the mess at Gateway Motorsports Park, Siegel ended up finishing seventh as a number of drivers fell out of the race. He benefitted from more than the accidents. The cautions also fell in his favor that allowed him to finish seventh.
What subjectively was his best race?
It is Gateway, and it was a race going well even before the accidents. Siegel was on a conservative strategy, and he was in the thick of it, but a pit lane speeding penalty took him out of the running. The cautions allowed him to get back on the lead lap and finish in seventh.
What objectively was his worst race?
Siegel did not qualify for the Indianapolis 500. Driving for Dale Coyne Racing, Siegel had an accident in practice and that set him behind the eight-ball. He made an attempt to qualify, but Coyne could not get the car up to speed. Siegel spun on his final qualifying run, the final run of the Last Chance Qualifying session.
Siegel did not qualify for the Indianapolis 500. Driving for Dale Coyne Racing, Siegel had an accident in practice and that set him behind the eight-ball. He made an attempt to qualify, but Coyne could not get the car up to speed. Siegel spun on his final qualifying run, the final run of the Last Chance Qualifying session.
Siegel's actual worst finish in a race he participated in was 25th in the second Milwaukee race after his gearbox broke only 24 laps in.
What subjectively was his worst race?
What subjectively was his worst race?
It doesn't get worse than failing to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. Siegel was put in a bad situation and Dale Coyne Racing was not best situated for the Indianapolis 500 this year. There can be positive to take away from that experience. Siegel still experienced what it was like to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 and a practice week. He is prepared for 2025 and there will be no surprises.
Nolan Siegel's 2024 Statistics
Championship Position: 23rd (154 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 1
Laps Led: 8
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 0
Average Start: 19.75
Average Finish: 17.5
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 1
Laps Led: 8
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 0
Average Start: 19.75
Average Finish: 17.5
Théo Pourchaire
Prior to the introduction of Nolan Siegel, Pourchaire was McLaren's squeeze. As Callum Ilott had scheduling conflicts with his FIA World Endurance Championship responsibilities, McLaren needed a driver. Pourchaire was loaned out from Sauber to race in IndyCar. Results were good and it looked like Pourchaire was going to run out the season. Unfortunately for the Frenchman, he signed with the most volatile IndyCar team when it comes to drivers, and Pourchaire was out for nothing he did wrong.
What objectively was his best race?
Pourchaire's only top ten finish in IndyCar was tenth at Detroit. It wasn't the cleanest race, as he had a run-in with Agustín Canapino that we will never forget. However, Pourchaire still took a damaged car and finished in the top ten on a weekend where he looked comfortable. He qualified seventh and was caught in the opening lap stack up, but he looked competitive and really looked good.
What subjectively was his best race?
His debut at Long Beach was pretty good. Pourchaire made his debut on short notice with no testing. It was always going to be a struggle, especially at a street course, but McLaren ran a smart race with Pourchaire. They didn't put him on a conservative strategy. They didn't try to make him save fuel. He was put on a strategy to run hard and he finished 11th coming in colder than most drivers before an IndyCar debut.
What objectively was his worst race?
Pourchaire was bulldozed late in the Barber race by his own teammate. Patricio O'Ward drilled Pourchaire and it cost both drivers as none of the three McLaren entries finished in the top twenty. Pourchaire was classified the best of the three but that was in 22nd position.
What subjectively was his worst race?
Pourchaire was bulldozed late in the Barber race by his own teammate. Patricio O'Ward drilled Pourchaire and it cost both drivers as none of the three McLaren entries finished in the top twenty. Pourchaire was classified the best of the three but that was in 22nd position.
What subjectively was his worst race?
The race he didn't get to run, Laguna Seca. It was stunning when it was announced Pourchaire would be removed of the #6 Chevrolet ahead of the Laguna Seca race for Nolan Siegel. McLaren had practically confirmed Pourchaire would close out the season with the team, including the Frenchman running the ovals. Pourchaire tested at Gateway! But, suddenly, he was dropped for Siegel, and worst of all, Pourchaire had openly expressed his excitement for running at Laguna Seca. It felt like we were watching a young driver have his dreams come true, only for it to be ripped out from underneath him. It was a tough break. He got one more race substituting for Alexander Rossi at Toronto, but it was a harsh end to what was a positive part of this 2024 season.
Théo Pourchaire's 2024 Statistics
Championship Position: 28th (91 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 1
Laps Led: 0
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 1
Average Start: 19.1667
Average Finish: 14.833
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 1
Laps Led: 0
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 1
Average Start: 19.1667
Average Finish: 14.833
An Early Look Ahead
McLaren needed this season. A second winless would not go over well. It is a team that clearly goes as far as Patricio O'Ward can take them.
In the last five season, O'Ward is the only Arrow McLaren to win a race. O'Ward has 26 podium finishes in that time. Every other McLaren driver in that timeframe have a combined six podium finishes. While O'Ward has finished in the top five in the championship in four of the last five seasons, the next best championship finish for a McLaren driver during that time is eighth.
For all the waves McLaren has made in creating a "Big Four" in IndyCar when there is really only a "Big Two," it is still far off from being a force in the series, and it is fair to wonder if McLaren is benefitting more from having O'Ward as one of its drivers than O'Ward is benefitting from driving for McLaren.
We are heading into 2025 with McLaren about to add another promising young driver, and in each of the previous occasions, we have not seen that driver flourish at his highest levels while at McLaren. Felix Rosenqvist did not wildly outperform his time at Chip Ganassi Racing while driving for McLaren. Alexander Rossi did not become a championship threat again. Oliver Askew got one broken season, which was altered due to the pandemic and in which he was knocked out of a car due to a concussion. We should not be surprised if Christian Lundgaard is outstanding, but we also should not expect great things for Lundgaard. It is not because of talent but because of the team he is driving for. We should expect a bumpy road because every equal talent before him has experienced the same thing.
From what we have seen from Lundgaard, he has the ability to be level with O'Ward. If you can finish eighth in the IndyCar championship with a victory at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing with a rather strong qualifying record, you should be able to move to Arrow McLaren and be more competitive, but we saw Rossi compete for championships at Andretti Global and not even come close to a victory in two seasons at McLaren.
Lundgaard should experience an ease moving to McLaren where it has more resources and it is not woefully slow on ovals. He is a driver hungry for more after stalling out at RLLR. Maybe that is a hunger that was missing in Rosenqvist and Rossi, and with Lundgaard it can turn two McLaren entries in regular front-runners. Eventually, McLaren will hit on one of its hires and it will have multiple drivers threatening for victories on a regular basis. If that is the case, it is more likely Lundgaard completing the one-two combo than Siegel.
Siegel had good results in Indy Lights, but there was nothing to suggest Siegel was some kind of can't-miss talent that teams were running to hire. Other than Dale Coyne Racing taking Siegel's money to run four events, people were not knocking down the door to hire Siegel, nor has anyone been rushing to hire anyone from Indy Lights and the Road to Indy system. There are no Oscar Piastris or Andrea Kimi Antonelli's in the Road to Indy system where you have multiple teams fighting for their service.
Generally, top IndyCar teams let young talent go, see what they can do spending their own money at a mid-pack team, and then they will hire them at a favorable price. Chip Ganassi Racing could have hired Linus Lundqvist after his Indy Lights championship season, but it needed to see him run three races for Meyer Shank Racing before making its decision.
Let's put it this way. Siegel averaged 12.833 points per start. Prorate that over a 17-race season, and that is 218 points, good enough for 19th this year in the championship and still 33 points behind Graham Rahal. Théo Pourchaire averaged 18.2 points per start, which is 309 points over 17 races, good enough for 12th in this year's championship and only three points off Lundgaard's point total.
McLaren does not have a long leash for drivers in IndyCar. Siegel will only turn 20 years old on November 9, but if this team is willing to part from an Indy Lights champion after one season, cut ties with Rosenqvist after three years and punt Rossi after two years, why should we believe Siegel is safe? The noise McLaren makes is about being one of the best teams in IndyCar. It pays drivers well, but the results do not match. McLaren could easily upgrade its driver lineup and find a replacement for Siegel. There is a certain Frenchman without a job who likely was the better candidate still on the sidelines.
This might be the team we know the most about heading into 2025. McLaren will ride O'Ward to the top, and somewhere over the course of the season we will hear about a potential shakeup. Prepare for choppy waters.
