Pato O’Ward Claims Victory in Turbulent Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto
In a chaotic race at the 1.786-mile Exhibition Place street circuit, Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren emerged victorious at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, navigating through a series of high-profile mishaps and strategic gambits. The event was marred by attrition, with multiple drivers failing to finish in the early laps due to crashes and mechanical issues.
Before the race’s green flag, Santino Ferrucci’s day abruptly ended as his No. 14 Chevrolet crashed into the turn 7 wall during warm-up, leaving the AJ Foyt Racing team unable to repair the car in time. This foreshadowed the string of incidents that characterized the event.
Scott McLaughlin’s race strategy fell apart early when a loose wheel led to his No. 3 car crashing into the wall after a pit stop. “The wheel nut came off… it’s frustrating,” McLaughlin stated post-race, reflecting on the incident.
Notable incidents included a collision involving Ed Carpenter Racing teammates Christian Rasmussen and Alexander Rossi. Rasmussen suffered significant damage after contact with Will Power, while Rossi’s race ended unexpectedly when minor contact with the wall resulted in catastrophic damage. “I’ve never seen that amount of damage with that little contact,” Rossi remarked, expressing disbelief in the severity of the situation.
Additional turmoil followed when Jacob Abel misjudged a corner, leading to a collision with Josef Newgarden. Abel’s No. 51 Honda ended atop Newgarden’s No. 2 Chevrolet, eliminating both drivers from contention. Newgarden summarized the incident succinctly: “Wrong place, wrong time.”
The race saw only 19 of the 27 starters finish on the lead lap, a testament to the challenges posed by the circuit and the series of caution flags that disrupted flow. While O’Ward and others benefitted from strategic pit stops that allowed them to utilize primary tires effectively, Rinus VeeKay and Kyffin Simpson executed two-stop strategies to secure podium finishes.
The event featured five drivers out of contention within the first 36 laps, including Ferrucci, McLaughlin, Rossi, Abel, and Newgarden. The second half of the race remained relatively calm until Felix Rosenqvist lost control of his No. 60 Honda with just three laps remaining, causing another caution but not altering the outcome.
Ultimately, O’Ward’s victory marked a successful strategic execution amid the chaos, reinforcing his championship ambitions as the season progresses.
