F1 Dec 07, 2025

IndyCar: Arrow McLaren SP win for second time with Pato O'Ward in dramatic Detroit GP weekend

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
IndyCar: Arrow McLaren SP win for second time with Pato O'Ward in dramatic Detroit GP weekend

McLaren claimed their second win since returning full time to IndyCar at the Detroit GP, as Pato O'Ward also moved into the lead of the championship.

A day after team-mate Felix Rosenqvist had been hospitalised following a big accident in Saturday's opening race at Belle Isle, O'Ward won from 16th on the grid in swashbuckling style to become the first two-time winner in 2021 after eight races.

O'Ward, who finished third in Saturday's race, had made good progress from his qualifying position and the Arrow McLaren SP driver ran fifth for the final race restart with seven laps remaining.

He won after picking up off long-time race leader Josef Newgarden with three laps to go, the two cars making contact as they went side-by-side before the 22-year-old Mexican pulled ahead for the victory.

"In my head, the two guys that I'm fighting the championship with are in front of me, and I was not going to be pleased if we ended behind them," said O'Ward to AP, whose first win came on the Texas Motor Speedway at the start of May.

"So if I had the chance I was going to strike.

"I just had to make sure every strike wasn't like, Oh, am I going to get it? It had to be boom, definite. Once you're on the inside, it's yours. I felt like I did it very clean."

O'Ward moves one-point clear of Alex Palou in a closely-fought championship, with reigning champion Scott Dixon shuffled back into third ahead of the Road America round this weekend.

The race's final caution period was triggered by a stoppage Romain Grosjean, whose front brakes caught fire.

After stopping and exiting his Dale Coyne Racing car, Grosjean, who miraculously escaped an inferno following an accident in last November's F1 Grand Prix in Bahrain, ran over to trackside marshals to get a fire extinguisher before dashing back to try and minimise the damage to his car.

IndyCar's safety team were soon on the scene and shepherded Grosjean away from the car while they put out the remaining flames.

"It was a pretty eventful weekend in Detroit," said Grosjean. "I think we had two mega qualifying results with a third yesterday and fifth today.

"But I got sandwiched at the race start and I lost a fair bit of positions. Then we tried to come into the race, but I picked up a drive-through penalty and we tried to come back from there.

"Eventually we had a brake fire, and I had to extinguish a fire, but we're all good here!"

Marcus Ericsson, a former rival of Grosjean's in F1, had won on Saturday for the first win of the Swede's IndyCar career.

Qualifying - 7pm on Saturday

Race - 5.30pm on Sunday

Tags:

f1 news id:12332194

Share this article

Related Posts

F1 2027 set to feature more Sprints with full race schedule, calendar for next season to be revealed soon by Formula 1

F1 2027 set to feature more Sprints with full race schedule, calendar for next season to be revealed soon by Formula 1

Formula 1's 2027 season is set to feature an additional number of Sprint weekends with the sport to reveal its full schedule for next year "very soon"...

Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari driver says his 'magic disappeared' at British GP after Sprint pole after set-up miscue

Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari driver says his 'magic disappeared' at British GP after Sprint pole after set-up miscue

Lewis Hamilton admits "all the magic just disappeared" after his flying start to the British Grand Prix Sprint weekend eventually ended with a third-p...

British GP: Martin Brundle on 'immense' Silverstone 2026, Charles Leclerc's win and a Safety Car rule he'd change

British GP: Martin Brundle on 'immense' Silverstone 2026, Charles Leclerc's win and a Safety Car rule he'd change

Silverstone's British Grand Prix 2026 was an immense event, and it could have been truly epic without a regulation which I have been complaining about...

Lando Norris: McLaren driver reflects on 'pretty shocking' British GP pace as Andrea Stella details gap to Mercedes, Ferrari

Lando Norris: McLaren driver reflects on 'pretty shocking' British GP pace as Andrea Stella details gap to Mercedes, Ferrari

Lando Norris says McLaren have "a hell of a lot to improve" after "pretty shocking" pace in the British Grand Prix despite finishing a solid fourth.A...

Felix Rosenqvist wins Indy 500 title after thrilling last-gasp overtake

Felix Rosenqvist wins Indy 500 title after thrilling last-gasp overtake

Felix Rosenqvist swung to the outside of David Malukas, then found a way past the Team Penske driver to win the closest Indianapolis 500 in history by...

Lewis Hamilton will be confident of challenging for victory at British GP, says his former team-mate Jenson Button

Lewis Hamilton will be confident of challenging for victory at British GP, says his former team-mate Jenson Button

Lewis Hamilton will arrive at this weekend's British Grand Prix confident that he can win on home soil, according to his former team-mate Jenson Butto...