Pato O’Ward of Mexico, a familiar face in Toronto, finally conquered the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto on Sunday, securing his first-ever Canadian title. The win marks a significant milestone for the seven-year IndyCar veteran, who has historically struggled with the challenging street course at Exhibition Place.
The victory was fueled by a combination of factors, including a strategic masterclass, a timely pep talk from Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan, and a touch of good fortune. The team worked cohesively, turning past disappointments into a driving force.
“It’s a big day. It’s a very big day,” O’Ward expressed at the post-race news conference. “It feels pretty special in a place that has arguably been one of the biggest headaches every single year that we come here.”
O’Ward’s journey to the top wasn’t without its hurdles. Like many drivers, he started the 90-lap race on the less-than-ideal alternate Firestone Firehawk tires. However, a well-timed pit stop just ahead of a Lap 3 caution allowed him to minimize his time on the unfavorable set, setting him up for a strong finish. This bold decision forced a three-stop strategy, but ultimately gave him the advantage with the primary compound tires for the majority of the race.
As one local fan observed, “There was a sense of unfolding,” as O’Ward navigated the track with increasing confidence, his car responding perfectly to each turn and straightaway.
- O’Ward’s win is his first in Canada.
- The victory was attributed to strategy, teamwork, and some luck.
- O’Ward started on less favorable tires but quickly switched them.
- There were a total of 226 on-track passes, the most since 2014.
- Canadian driver Devlin DeFrancesco finished 22nd.
Looking ahead, O’Ward hopes this win will be a catalyst for future success. He acknowledged the need for consistency and a more aggressive approach in the remaining races to challenge Alex Palou, the overall standings leader, for the championship. Winning the Championship will require consistent high performancwe and some risk taking. This race has been a good confidence boost to his crew.
Currently, the focus is on progress. O’Ward has narrowed Palou’s lead in the point standings from 129 to 99 with four races left. Team strategists are poring over data, seeking marginal gains that could prove decisive in the upcoming races.
Remaining hurdles include maintaining consistency across different track types and minimizing mistakes under pressure. The team also needs to optimize their pit stop strategy to ensure O’Ward can maintain track position. Navigating traffic and making clean overtakes will be critical for securing valuable points. The racing team is working hard to address these issues before the next race.
Rinus VeeKay of the Netherlands secured second place, with Kyffin Simpson of the United States rounding out the podium in third. Defending champion Colton Herta, who started in pole position, had a strong showing early on, but a late caution ultimately solidified the final standings. He was hot on Kyffin Simpsons tail.
“Definitely the final part, looking forward, really trying to close the gap to Pato, it was really hard to close,” said VeeKay. “I think the track didn’t really allow many overtakes… All three of us were kind of hovering around the same pace, closing in, making the gap bigger at times. It wasn’t very exciting at the end, but it was a lot of work in the car.”
Despite VeeKay’s perception, the race saw a significant amount of on-track action, with a total of 226 passes, marking the highest number since 2014. This high volume of overtaking highlights the dynamic nature of the race and the strategic decisions made by each team. The event was filled with passes and exciting moment, though sometimes not captured on TV.
Unfortunately, Toronto native Devlin DeFrancesco, the sole Canadian driver in the race, encountered a frustrating day, finishing 22nd after a lengthy pit stop to repair damage sustained in a Lap 37 accident. His team worked tirelessly to get him back on track, but the lost time proved insurmountable. It was a disapointing setback for the hometown driver.
On X.com, @IndyCarFan82 posted: “Great race! O’Ward drove amazing. So happy for him!” A flurry of comments followed, many praising O’Ward’s skill and the exciting nature of the race.
Kanaan emphasized his frustration with the negative narrative surrounding O’Ward and Arrow McLaren’s performance in Toronto. He challenged the team to change their mindset and approach the race with a renewed sense of confidence. They were able to take that energy forward and turn it into a huge victory for the team.
“It hasn’t been historically a good weekend for us here, which I didn’t want to hear that coming in here,” Kanaan stated. “I was never that type of person… As a team, we got together last night and I said, ‘Let’s change that.’ (…) I don’t want to believe that’s why we won, but…”
Alex Palou, while maintaining his lead in the overall standings, finished 12th, ceding valuable points to O’Ward. O’Ward is determined to build on this momentum and close the gap further. He knows that consistency and strategic risk-taking will be essential for contending for the championship. The 12th place finish has frustrated Palou, who also expressed anger on his Facebook page.