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Arrow McLaren driver Pato O’Ward is quickly earning a reputation as one of the most outspoken and charismatic drivers in the IndyCar paddock. But O’Ward’s comments about the 2025 Indy 500 didn’t sit so well with some fans after he criticized both the spectacle and one of his fellow drivers.
O’Ward started on the front row and finished third, marking his third podium finish in four years at perhaps the world’s most famous race. But afterwards, he was highly critical of both the product on the track and Andretti Glober driver Marcus Erricson.
Pato O’Ward shares his thoughts after the race. 👀#Indy500 pic.twitter.com/kbta5RujxC
— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) May 25, 2025
“Pretty crap race I would say,” O’Ward said in postrace interview with Fox Sports. “Just kinda sucks that it went down to — the switcheroo was for the last position of the race and Ericsson actually kinda choked there and let Palou by and just kind of … he just had to pedal it there. I don’t think it’s a finish anybody here would’ve wanted to see.
“I just feel like there was a bunch of non-experience in the front of the restarts and some of those restarts were pathetic. Those were not of the level that we should be seeing at the Indy 500. It just felt like we were playing roulette in a casino and picking outside or inside and just depending on what everyone else was choosing you either got screwed or you made like 10 positions.”
Marcus Ericsson Would Have Been Disqualified Had He Won 2025 Indy 500
Ericsson held the lead in the race with 14 laps to go. But eventual winner Alex Palou was able to pass him when Ericsson mistakenly moved to outside of the track, giving Palou a chance to get by.
“I’m just angry with myself that I didn’t keep the position,” Ericsson said post-race. “It was my race to win.”
However, the pass ended up being for the best for all involved. Both Ericsson and teammate Kyle Kirkwood failed post-race inspection and were relegated to the pack of the field on Monday morning. Had Ericsson won the race, it would’ve been yet another black eye for IndyCar after multiple Team Penske cars were caught cheating prior to last week’s qualifying session.
O’Ward was similarly outspoken about that incident, calling for strict penalties. Both the Indy 500 and the season as a whole may not be going how O’Ward hoped, but he’s certainly making a name for himself with some incredible sound bites out of the car.