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Pato O'Ward had a dismal Long Beach Grand Prix after he finished the 90-lap race down in 13th. The Mexican progressed backward in the race, leading him to apologize to the fans on X (formerly Twitter) for the dull race on his behalf.
The IndyCar cameras remained centered on Kyle Kirkwood throughout the race as the 26-year-old had to fend off a charge from reigning champion Alex Palou chasing him down in the CGR. However, the Long Beach Grand Prix showcased what a difference a race weekend can make, as O'Ward started the race in ninth after qualifying on pole at Thermal Club.
The 25-year-old started the race ahead of Christian Lundgaard, but the strategic advantage of starting on the primary tires helped the Dane, who went on to finish the race on the podium. On the other hand, Pato O'Ward suffered an equally uninteresting race as he was stuck behind Marcus Ericsson for the majority of the race and even took the chequered flag after the Swedish driver.
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Admitting how dejecting the race weekend was for him and his fans, O'Ward apologized to his supporters, and wrote on X:
"Disappointed is an understatement. The fans remain the highlight of this weekend as always. Thanks to all that came out to support me and sorry for today."
Pato O'Ward lost four spots in the championship standings after an underwhelming performance at the Long Beach Grand Prix.
Is Pato O'Ward fulfilling the goals that he had set for himself ahead of the 2025 season?
Since making his debut in 2018 in the premier open-wheel racing series in the United States, the Arrow McLaren driver has eluded to win the IndyCar championship. His best championship charge remains to be in 2021, where he finished the season on a high by claiming third spot in the standings.
However, since then, Pato O'Ward has been unable to breach the top and admitted how he lacked consistency ahead of the 2025 season. He aimed to bring corrective measures in place, and said (via Open Wheel World):
"Last year, we were way too inconsistent. I would say that performance-wise, good days were great, but bad days were horrible. It just seems to have been the trend for us in recent years because we’re simply not yet at the level we need to be in terms of reliability."
"I’ve made my share of mistakes as well. It’s never going to be perfect; it’s never going to go exactly how you want it to. But you have to get as close to perfection as possible if you want to be a champion, just as you need to be nearly perfect to win the Indy 500."
On the contrary, in the three rounds of racing action held so far, he has claimed a single top-10 finish, that too in the form of a podium at Thermal Club. So, the 25-year-old will be hoping to get into a rhythm and mount a challenge for the all-exclusive title.
