Former Arrow McLaren IndyCar team principal and Team Penske engineer, Gavin Ward, has landed a new role at RLL (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing). One of the most versatile and technical minds in IndyCar will be working with RLL in a special advisory role, reporting straight to the team principal, Jay Frye.
Frye shared that Ward has already been involved in multiple projects at the RLL IndyCar squad.
“Gavin’s joined us in a special advisory role for now, and we’re excited to have him in the building,” Frye told RACER.
“We already have him working on a couple of projects and he’s been great. I’ve known him for a long time; he’s a great guy. As we get through some of these first projects, we’ll look at defining more of what he’ll be doing for us down the road, but he’s already proving to be a big asset for us.”
One of the most respected in his field
Ward’s diverse career has allowed him to travel from Europe to America. The Canadian built his foundation in Europe with Red Bull Racing’s engineering department at Formula 1 before deciding to shift to IndyCar.
During his time at Team Penske, Ward worked with champion and Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden — his guidance helped Newgarden become the 2019 IndyCar champion. He remained with Newgarden through 2021 before making a high-profile move to Arrow McLaren.
Because of Penske’s non-compete clause, Ward sat out half of the 2022 season before McLaren hired him for an engineering leadership role
When team president Taylor Kiel departed shortly after the 2022 finale, Ward, who was originally hired to strengthen the technical ranks, was promoted to team principal. His tenure, marked by both competitive growth and internal restructuring, lasted until October 2024, when McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown and current team principal Tony Kanaan elected to change direction.
Another Arrow McLaren addition to RLL
The Canadian is the latest in a growing list of former Arrow McLaren personnel recruited by Bobby Rahal, David Letterman and Mike Lanigan’s organization. His arrival reunites him with several friendly faces, including Brian Barnhart—now RLL’s senior vice president of operations, pit stop manager Kyle Sagan and chief mechanic Heath “Keto” Kosik.
For RLL, Ward represents another strategic expansion as the team continues its multi-year push to reclaim consistent podium-contending form. His combination of F1 experience, championship-winning IndyCar credentials, and leadership background positions him as a potentially transformative figure within the program.
RLL views the engineer as a key component of its competitive resurrection, as his early involvement and the enthusiasm surrounding his arrival indicate that his long-term responsibilities will be significant.
