Pato O'Ward reshares pictures of young fan who got his signed Arrow McLaren jersey

Pato O'Ward, the Arrow McLaren driver, is one of the most well-known names on the IndyCar grid. He has a decent fan following in the sport, and in line with this, he recently shared a story of a young fan.

An Instagram handle, @gerardofrank_ (most probably handled by parents), recently posted a photo of a kid donning the Arrow McLaren jersey that Pato O'Ward signed.

The account via stories, tagged O'Ward as well, and the latter, to their and his fans' surprise, reshared the story via his Instagram account.

Instagram/@patriciooward

Pato O'Ward has been competing in the highest class of open-wheel racing in America since the 2018 Grand Prix of Sonoma. He has so far managed 91 appearances in the sport and has gone on to secure seven wins, 27 podiums and six pole positions.

He is easily the main driver of the Indianapolis-based Arrow McLaren racing team. The 25-year-old ended the 2024 season in fifth place in the drivers' standings.

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Pato O'Ward left 'points on the table' at Thermal

While Pato O'Ward has come up with a heartwarming gesture in regard to a young fan, he felt he did not have the best of outings at the recent Thermal Club Grand Prix. He ended his outing on the podium in P2, but despite this, he felt that a bit was left on the table.

In his post-race interview, he talked about how his #5 Arrow McLaren car was no match for the race winner, Alex Palou (2024 champion). Moreover, he stressed that points were left on the table that could have come his way. He said (via Arrow McLaren):

"We expect to fight for the championship each year, and weekends like this are where every point does count for so much more. But when you miss it by just that much, you definitely leave feeling like you left some points on the table where we would have looked at something different. I'm happy with the points today and we're going to keep pushing. It's a long, long, long season ahead, and the ovals are a different beast, as well."

The ongoing 2025 IndyCar season has 15 Grand Prixs remaining on the calendar. After two rounds, Pato O'Ward finds himself in a strong second place in the drivers' championship behind Alex Palou.

However, the gap to the Chip Ganassi racing driver is big, considering that O'Ward is currently on 63 points whereas Palou has breezed his way to 102. The latter triumphed in the season opener (Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg) as well.

The upcoming Round 3 (Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach) holds tremendous importance for Pato O'Ward in regard to his tussle for the drivers' championship.