After concluding the 2025 INDYCAR season 63 points ahead of Scott Dixon in third place, Pato O’Ward delivered a strong performance with two wins, yet he remained 196 points behind champion Alex Palou. This sizeable gap has set the tone for a determined offseason as O’Ward and his team prepare for the 2026 opener on the streets of St. Petersburg.
O’Ward aims to close the distance with Palou, who secured eight victories last season, underscoring the level of competition he faces as the new campaign begins on Sunday at noon ET, broadcast on FOX.
Identifying Areas for Growth Beyond One Solution
When reflecting on how to catch Palou, O’Ward and Arrow McLaren recognized there is no single fix to close the gap. Instead, progress must come from multiple fronts, including physical conditioning, mental preparedness, vehicle reliability, and engineering enhancements.
“There’s always room for improvement everywhere — fitness, mental, car build, reliability, engineering,”
O’Ward explained during a video call amid his media schedule in snowy New York City.
“There’s different ways that work for some people and others might much rather do something else. If it’s giving more time to yourself or doing more of something, I don’t know. But for me, it’s just being well-prepared physically, always trying to maintain a good mental space and just making sure everything is in line carwise.”
Performance Differences Between O’Ward’s and Palou’s Cars
O’Ward notes the Ganassi car, piloted by Palou, exhibits strengths particularly in race trim that Arrow McLaren is intent on addressing, as it often results in better outcomes on Palou’s side even during off weekends. He believes improving those “bad weekends” is crucial to mounting a strong championship challenge.
“Their car can do things better than our car, for sure, but we’re trying to rectify those things,”
O’Ward commented.
He added that Palou’s vehicle may not dominate every track, citing the Andretti car as superior on some street circuits like St. Petersburg.
“So it’s just about trying to make your bad weekends better. Because our good weekends are very good. But we need to make our bad weekends much better. And I think that’s where the Ganassi car, specifically in race trim, is super, super strong where sometimes we might not have those better bad weekends like they do. Our bad weekends are pretty freaking bad. So that’s the biggest difference that I see.”
Team Stability and New Facilities to Foster Progress
The core driver lineup at Arrow McLaren remains unchanged in 2026, with O’Ward supported by teammates Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel. O’Ward’s crew is also largely consistent, though key changes on the management front include the addition of Kyle Moyer, formerly with Penske, as competition director since the previous summer.
One of the most significant upgrades comes from a change of workplace. The team has relocated from the limited 33,000-square-foot Sam Schmidt Motorsports shop to a substantially larger 86,000-square-foot facility formerly occupied by Andretti Autosport. This new home includes a modern fitness center, aligning with O’Ward’s emphasis on physical preparation.
“I’ve gone more to the new shop in the last two weeks than I went to the old shop in one year,”
O’Ward remarked.
“You just want to be there. … It’s nice to have a home that matches our goals. And I’m a firm believer that you need to act like it before you actually get there. It’s been a great new thing, and I think it’s arriving at just the perfect time.”
Optimism and Determination as the Season Begins
O’Ward approaches the 2026 season with eagerness, motivated by his near misses and his pursuit of the INDYCAR title and the coveted Indianapolis 500 victory. The refreshed environment and focused team provide a foundation to build on the progress made last year.
“I genuinely am excited for this new opportunity that we have,”
O’Ward shared.
“It’s a new year. It’s a new shot at every venue that we go to. So I’m trying to extract the most out of those weekends that we can. And I feel confident that we’re going to be stronger than last year.”
This blend of physical effort, mental resilience, engineering development, and enhanced team resources positions Pato O’Ward and Arrow McLaren to contend more effectively in INDYCAR’s 2026 campaign. Strengthening the consistency of their performance, particularly on tough race weekends, will be key to narrowing the gap with Palou and others at the front of the field. As the season launches in St. Petersburg, fans and analysts alike will watch closely to see if O’Ward can transform his potential into championship success.
