“Respect the racetrack” key to McLaren’s Indy 500 redemption

Arrow McLaren staff principal Tony Kanaan stated his staff is “not doing something totally different” in its method to this yr’s 109th operating of the Indianapolis 500, regardless of its driver Pato O’Ward shedding out to Staff Penske’s Josef Newgarden within the closing levels of the 2024 race.

Kanaan, who gained the five hundred in 2013, will lead McLaren’s four-car lineup at this yr’s race, with O’Ward lining up alongside Nolan Siegel, Christian Lundgaard, and Kyle Larson. The staff is chasing an final victory on the Brickyard, and Kanaan says he speaks from expertise on the subject of the staff’s method to profitable the historic race.

“I feel the best way I took it all through my profession was, each time that I got here to this race, I needed to put myself able to win,” Kanaan stated. “And first is by taking part, it’s primary. After which working in the direction of your purpose.

“I can’t pinpoint one factor why we misplaced the race with two corners to go. I can solely look forward and say, ‘alright, let’s take a look at what we expect we have to enhance, how we are able to play the race strategy-wise,’ and we’ll see if we’re there on the finish.

“It’s important to watch out the way you method it, and also you [can’t] let it get into your head. It may well make you immortal, a forever-winner. However it could additionally destroy you.

“So, we’re approaching with the identical method: we respect the racetrack, we now have quick race vehicles, and we’re going to depart all of it on the market.”

When requested what he’ll be doing on his aspect to assist O’Ward, Kanaan added that he would “do every little thing I can.”

“I advised Pato, ‘if I might drive the automotive’, however I feel I’m worse than him, so he’s one of the best man on the wheel,” he stated.

“After which inside the entire staff and Pato, [we have] the instruments and the mindset, and every little thing to win a race, which is sort of an enormous accountability on my finish. As a race automotive driver, I had my crew solely to fret about.

“Now we have 4 vehicles within the race, 4 probabilities. I’m not placing all my cash on Pato, however he was the one which has the great file right here.”

However Kanaan is hesitant to assume an excessive amount of about what an Indy 500 win would imply to him and the staff, including that he’ll attempt not to consider it.

“I feel over time, I’ve discovered that this sort of expectation can actually destroy you,” Kanaan stated. “You already know once you, like, take into consideration the way you’re going to have a good time, and that anticipation? I’ve by no means preferred that, as a result of I feel it must be pure.

“However it might imply loads to the staff, proper? McLaren has a historical past. We’re a race staff, our staff this yr has by no means stopped racing. Look how a lot we’re dominating in Components 1.

“Now, this staff grew, so it was a race staff that grew to become this empire.”

Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren

Picture by: Penske Leisure

Forward of the Indy 500, Arrow McLaren has two drivers within the high 5 of IndyCar’s standings, with Lundgaard third with 150 factors, only one level behind Kyle Kirkwood in second, and O’Ward following with 148. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou is dominating thus far, nevertheless, and leads Kirkwood by 97 factors.

Whereas dealing with the gulf to Palou up entrance, Kanaan is lifelike about his staff’s objectives as he seems to be forward to the remainder of the 2025 IndyCar season.

“We’ve bought to maintain it the identical,” he stated. “Nothing has to alter.”

“That’s the ups-and-downs, or a foul consequence, or a great consequence, couldn’t change the main focus and the purpose.

“I feel we now have a tough job on Palou, that has been extraordinarily sturdy. I imply, his worst end has been second. So, we’ve bought to capitalise on it and preserve it as shut as we are able to.

“We will’t second-guess one another. Now we have a plan. If it’s going to be sufficient or not, I will reply you in a number of months when the season is over. However that is not at all an excuse. I bought on this yr, I’m dedicated, I’m a racer, I’ve been a race automotive driver my total profession.

“Folks say, ‘do you like profitable races?’ I say, ‘truly it’s the other. I hate shedding greater than I really like profitable’.

“We’re working fairly onerous, however racing shouldn’t be truthful, it’s by no means been truthful. Life’s not truthful.

“Outcomes-wise, you say ‘effectively are we pleased?’ In fact, no. We’re by no means going to be pleased if we don’t win every little thing. However I feel it’s been very optimistic.

“We had a number of issues during the last yr that we needed to sort out, which was the consistency, but in addition having zero mechanical failures, which – knock on wooden – thus far we’ve been in a position to accomplish, after which simply preserve constructing like that.

“I feel we’re on the fitting path, and racing doesn’t forgive you, you’re solely nearly as good as your final race.”

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