"The old Pato O'Ward would be mad": Tony Kanaan shares honest take on McLaren star with championship and Indy 500 win in sight

Pato O'Ward made his debut in 2018 in IndyCar and has matured over the years as a driver and team leader. Arrow McLaren team principal and former champion, Tony Kanaan, revealed how the Mexican has transformed during his time in the series and compared how hiring Christian Lundgaard would not have gone well with the O'Ward from the past.

Intra-team dynamics often play a key role in deciding IndyCar championships. Drivers end up forming rivalries with their teammates as the hunger for race wins and championships develops between colleagues.

Moreover, Arrow McLaren has one of the best driver lineups on the IndyCar field, and Christian Lundgaard has moved to the English team over the winter break. The Dane is a proven race winner and could pose a threat to Pato O'Ward's monopoly within McLaren.

However, the 25-year-old maintained a mature stature with Lundgaard's arrival. Subsequently, Tony Kanaan revealed how O'Ward has evolved over the years and said (via RACER):

"Before, the old Pato would be mad and thinking, ‘Why did you bring this Lundgaard guy here? I want to go to somewhere else.’ Now, he’s like, ‘Well, gotta raise my game.’ I believe Pato’s one of the best talents in IndyCar. Now we need to define that to become a champion, an Indy 500 winner, otherwise he’ll be known as one of the best that never really won everything. So hopefully I can help him with that. The keys are believing you can do it and then executing and actually doing it, and that’s what we’re all working on together."

Pato O'Ward will lead an Arrow McLaren front row for the race start at Thermal Club alongside his Danish teammate.

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Tony Kanaan shares his thoughts after Pato O'Ward secured pole at Thermal Club

Pato O'Ward at the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico - Previews - Source: Getty

Pato O'Ward played second fiddle to Christian Lundgaard at St. Petersburg after a torrid qualifying session around the temporary circuit. Moreover, the 23-year-old looked to have the upper hand in the early phase of the Thermal Club Grand Prix weekend as he topped the second practice session, heading into the qualifying session.

However, O'Ward pipped his teammate for the shootout for pole by almost two-tenths of a second. The former race-winner bagged the team's first pole since 2022 and Kanaan was happy with the Mexican's work behind the wheel, as he said (via RACER):

"These are the days you don’t take for granted. I know by tomorrow morning, this is all gone, but I will enjoy today. I’m so proud of everybody, and we’ve been working so hard to get better. I care so much about this team and making our people believe that we’re good enough."

The Thermal Club Grand Prix will be broadcast on the FOX network in the United States. The 27-car grid will line up for the race at 3 pm Eastern Time.