A bittersweet weekend for IndyCar’s Arrow McLaren at Laguna Seca

On paper, it was a stable weekend for the papaya squad, Arrow McLaren. Christian Lundgaard scored a podium, Pato O’Ward was a stable fourth and Nolan Siegel led his first laps of the 2025 season. However it got here with a disappointing conclusion for Siegel and a championship possible misplaced for O’Ward.

Lundgaard was the star of the day for the group. O’Ward rolled off second, however the Dane completed there from seventh after pitting sooner than his rivals to achieve floor with an undercut. That led him to 3rd, the place he used a daring overtake to sneak previous Colton Herta for the runner-up spot.

He didn’t have the tempo to problem frontrunner Alex Palou after a pair late cautions, however held onto second to provide the group its eleventh podium on the yr – a brand new excessive mark for the squad.

“I knew that the pit sequences are actually key right here,” Lundgaard stated of his run. “We went into this race not understanding if it was going to be a purple (tire) race or a main race. It ended up being a purple race and I simply can’t thank this staff sufficient.”

O’Ward put collectively a whole weekend, qualifying second and ending fourth on a day the place the technique and pace didn’t fall his manner. It was a stable end result that continued a streak of success for the Mexican star. He’s completed seventh or higher in 9 of the previous 10 races, with two wins and 5 podiums.

In a few years, that will be sufficient to problem for his first IndyCar title. However the consistency has are available a dominant yr for Palou. The Chip Ganassi Racing star’s seven (now eight) wins left O’Ward in want of main features in Laguna Seca to have an opportunity to shut inside attain for the championship. However after Palou’s win, he now holds a 120-point championship benefit with simply three races remaining. The Spaniard might clinch the title subsequent day trip at Portland Worldwide Raceway.

Barring an absolute meltdown – and regardless of O’Ward’s finest efforts – the championship battle possible ended Sunday below the California solar.

Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren

Picture by: Penske Leisure

Then, there was Siegel. Working in his residence state, the Palo Alto native was the one driver not named Palou to guide laps on Sunday. An alternate technique put him out entrance for 11 laps early on earlier than Palou surged previous him in flip 3. Even after that, Siegel was nonetheless positioned to benefit from a race he’d began sixteenth in.

However that every one fell aside within the closing phases, when Siegel went for a spin on the Corkscrew. He tried to make a move on Louis Foster, however made contact and briefly looped round earlier than rolling on.

Siegel finally took the checkered flag in 18th, persevering with a streak of four-straight races with a mean end of 21.75 after he’d scored outcomes of eighth and eleventh at Street America and Mid-Ohio.

Ultimately, each driver at Arrow McLaren confirmed promise in Laguna Seca. Two of the staff’s drivers completed within the top-four spots and the opposite led laps. However with Siegel exhibiting his inexperience and Palou persevering with to dominate, there was little else on provide to be joyous about within the Java Home Grand Prix of Monterey.

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