Pato O’Ward is 73 points behind the IndyCar championship leader, Alex Palou, but is the Spaniard’s closest challenger with nine races to go.
The Mexican closed the gap last time out at Gateway with a superb drive to second place, narrowly missing out on the race win as Kyle Kirkwood took victory.
It was a step in the right direction for O’Ward, who finished seventh at the previous event in Detroit for Arrow McLaren.
Despite O’Ward’s fourth podium of the year, the Mexican still sits more than a race wins worth of points behind Chip Ganassi Racing’s Palou.
O’Ward remains confident of creating a closer battle for the championship and not letting Palou have an easy run to his fourth consecutive crown.
Arrow McLaren driver O’Ward says he needs to “start racking up some wins” after P2 at Gateway
He admitted in the post race press conference at Gateway that Palou has been very impressive in 2025 but the Arrow McLaren driver is ready to pounce if given an opportunity.
O’Ward said: “The guy has been on a run. He has five wins or something. I’ve got zero wins. I’ve just got a handful of podiums. We need to start racking up some wins, and that’ll make that points count come down a lot faster than what you’re seeing now.
“I feel like we’re just sitting at bay right there just waiting for our run to come, so hopefully that does come to life, I think it’s going to be a tight end to the championship.“
The Arrow McLaren driver has been finishing inside the top 10 at most races, with a couple of slight disappointments at St. Petersburg and Long Beach, finishing 11th and 13th.
This form has been strong, but not on the level of Palou, who won five of the six opening rounds, including his first Indy 500. Meanwhile, O’Ward has not had it easy at some events in 2025, while Palou romped to an early championship lead.
There are still many opportunities for O’Ward to close the gap with nine races to go, including a double header at Iowa, a circuit Palou crashed at in 2024.
There will be a mix of ovals as well as road and street courses which both drivers have had superb success at in their relatively short careers.
Pato O’Ward hasn’t fought for a title since 2021
O’Ward is yet to win a IndyCar championship and hasn’t fought for a championship since 2021 when he narrowly missed out to Palou.
This lack of experience may prove to be vital against the reigning champion who has become an ice cool competitor under immense pressure.
The 26-year-old has toned down some of the unforced errors that plagued his early career, but is relatively inexperienced in title battles.
