Pato O'Ward, McLaren SP, IndyCar, Sebring, 2022

O’Ward signs McLaren SP contract extension until end of 2025

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Patricio O’Ward has signed a contract extension with McLaren SP that will keep him at the IndyCar team until the end of the 2025 season.

The 23-year-old Mexican driver has committed to the McLaren SP team he has raced with since 2020. O’Ward finished second in the IndyCar Series standings last year having taken two race wins, five podium finishes and three pole positions. He currently sits seventh in this year’s championship, having won the Grand Prix of Alabama.

McLaren’s move to extend O’Ward in their IndyCar programme is not unexpected, with McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown having stated the team had been working to secure an agreement to keep O’Ward in their team for “many more years” leading up to today’s announcement.

O’Ward said he was “incredibly happy” to have confirmed he would remain with McLaren SP over the next three seasons beyond 2022.

“This team has truly felt like home for me over the past three years and I can’t wait to build on our success as we compete for wins and championships,” said O’Ward. “I want to thank the whole team for this opportunity. This is exactly where I want to be.”

Zak Brown described O’Ward as an “important part of McLaren’s future in IndyCar.”

“We are happy that he will be a key part of Arrow McLaren SP for years to come,” said Brown. “He is an incredibly talented driver who has already shown what he is capable of in IndyCar and I look forward to watching him take the next step in his promising career.”

O’Ward currently races alongside Felix Rosenqvist for this year’s IndyCar championship, with former McLaren Formula 1 racer and two-time Indy 500 winner Juan-Pablo Montoya also racing in a third entry in Sunday’s race.

O’Ward was given an opportunity to test McLaren’s 2021 MCL35M at the post-season test in Abu Dhabi last season. McLaren have also signed fellow IndyCar driver Colton Herta to a development role for the 2022 season.

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Will Wood
Will has been a RaceFans contributor since 2012 during which time he has covered F1 test sessions, launch events and interviewed drivers. He mainly...

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