Pato O’Ward was close to winning the most recent Indianapolis 500 championship title, but it wasn’t meant to be this time. Josef Newgarden made a daring move on the Mexican driver in Turn 3 of the last lap, securing his second consecutive victory. O’Ward finished in second place, marking the second time in three years that he has done so, and once again had to witness another driver celebrate a triumph in the biggest race of the year. After stopping his car, O’Ward kept his helmet on for a long period to compose himself and hold back tears before facing the press for interviews. He explained that he wanted to calm down before removing the helmet, as it was quite wet inside. O’Ward expressed his pride in Arrow McLaren for providing him and the entire team with the necessary tools to compete. He described the race as highly stressful, with ups and downs, and admitted that the car was not easy to control at certain moments. Despite the challenges, O’Ward was happy to have finished the race and congratulated Josef on his consecutive victories. O’Ward acknowledged that he took risks during the race, striving to compete for the win. He mentioned the difficulties he faced inside his car, including oversteer and the need to make multiple adjustments to avoid colliding with the wall at high speeds. O’Ward’s exceptional driving skills were evident throughout the race, but he couldn’t escape the disappointment of coming so close to victory, only to fall short. Despite the sadness, O’Ward hoped to bring joy to the spectators and fans who supported him. He emphasized the intense struggle he had to fight for his result, making the experience emotional. O’Ward currently holds the fourth position in the overall points standings and will seek his second win of the season in the next race in Detroit.
