Source: Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment / other
INDIANAPOLIS — It’s hard to believe this will be Pato O’Ward’s seventh year of racing in the NTT IndyCar Series. It will be his fifth year as a full-time driver.
O’Ward, 24, couldn’t believe it himself as he showed up to IndyCar content days in Indianapolis this week.
For him, 2023 was a long year.
“As soon as I finished (the 2023 season), I went to a very intense program with Formula One,” O’Ward said. “I didn’t finish really until — December 6th was kind of like my first day off. Definitely not complaining, but by then everybody else probably had three months off. Coupled with that, we had a lot of hybrid testing, and it was just a very busy, busy season.”
O’Ward returns in an Arrow Mclaren stable complimented by Alexander Rossi and a new addition to the team in David Malukas.
He said that after finishing all his obligations with McLaren for that stretch, he went back home to Mexico where he spent two weeks doing absolutely nothing.
“I just needed 10 to 14 days to just relax and calm down the pace of just life in general a bit,” said O’Ward. “Just tried to behave, not chasing tail, focus. I feel good. I feel really good, physically, and mentally. I’m excited for the challenges ahead.”
One of the challenges ahead for Pato is getting back in Victory Lane. Despite finishing fourth in the overall championship and securing seven podium finishes, O’Ward never saw the checkered flag first in a race last season. None of his Arrow McLaren brethren did.
The last of his four career wins came in 2022 at Iowa.
“I think the more years that I add on to my IndyCar resume, you just realize how costly a risk can be,” Pato said. “Especially early on in the season, which is a constant battle that you will have your whole career, really.”
Still, O’Ward considers the season a success in the sense that the team had a lot of “little wins” throughout the year. “We didn’t have that elephant in the room of we didn’t win,” he added. “But we ended the season hungry.”
As O’Ward alluded to, he said this season will be about picking his battles more wisely.
“I just think trying to really pick wisely when you’re taking those risks are going to help your chances at the championship later on, just because of maybe lost points that could have been less of a loss, let’s say,” O’Ward said. “But it’s tough. And with such a competitive series, you have to — there are risks that you have to take in order for you to be a race winner.”
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“We ended the season hungry.” O’Ward Plans To Manage Risk Better In 2024 was originally published on wibc.com
