Arrow McLaren has been close to the top in the IndyCar Series for years but has consistently fallen just short of challenging Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing for the title. The key word for the team in 2025 is "consistency" – both in performance and in the driver lineup. McLaren hopes to contend for the IndyCar championship starting this year.

Pato O'Ward

Pato O’Ward, in particular, has been close to the top teams in recent years. In terms of wins, the Mexican driver had his best season yet last year: he won three races and finished second three times, including in the Indy 500. However, seven finishes outside the top ten caused him to drop to a disappointing fifth place in the championship standings. O’Ward knows exactly what he needs to focus on for the coming season.

"Last year, we were way too inconsistent," O’Ward admitted. "I would say that performance-wise, good days were great, but bad days were horrible. It just seems to have been the trend for us in recent years because we’re simply not yet at the level we need to be in terms of reliability. I’ve made my share of mistakes as well. It’s never going to be perfect; it’s never going to go exactly how you want it to. But you have to get as close to perfection as possible if you want to be a champion, just as you need to be nearly perfect to win the Indy 500."

Nolan Siegel

Last year was a chaotic one for the #6 McLaren crew. Initially, David Malukas was set to debut for McLaren, but the American was injured in a mountain biking accident before the season began and was ultimately let go. Callum Ilott and Théo Pourchaire stepped in as temporary replacements until Nolan Siegel was named the full-time substitute. However, the young and inexperienced Siegel struggled to make an impact in the ten races he competed in. Despite this, Siegel has set high expectations for 2025.

"The goal is to be on the podium and win races," Siegel stated. "It’s super competitive in the IndyCar Series. It’s an incredibly challenging racing series, and it’s by no means easy. Not every weekend is going to go smoothly, but I think if we capitalize on the weekends when we have a strong car and are in the positions we want to be in, we’ll have opportunities to finish up front and celebrate on Sundays."

Christian Lundgaard

Christian Lundgaard is the newest addition to the McLaren team, replacing Alexander Rossi. The 23-year-old driver made enough of an impression during his three seasons with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing to earn the promotion to McLaren. Lundgaard aims to fight for victories right from the first race with his new team.

"I have one win – funnily enough, it’s a P1, P2, and P3. I don’t have multiples of any yet," Lundgaard reflected on his time at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. "But I think what Arrow McLaren and Pato achieved in the 2024 season, especially at Mid-Ohio with the introduction of hybrid technology and being the first winner, also showed me that they’re ready for the challenge and ahead of everyone else."

"I don’t want to use this season to get up to speed. We want to be ready from the start to fight for podiums and wins. At the end of the day, I want to win every race. We all do. But to achieve that, you have to be competitive in every single race and put yourself in the best position to achieve good results. And again, to do that, you need to be competitive right from the start."