Arrow McLaren has made big strides in recent years, but the team still needs to make the leap to truly fight for an IndyCar championship. To do that, everything must be perfected — against a rival like Alex Palou, every tiny mistake is punished. With Pato O’Ward and Christian Lundgaard, the team has the talent to be part of that championship fight.

With twelve top?ten finishes in seventeen races, including two wins, Pato O’Ward made major progress in consistency last year. He finished runner?up in the championship but well behind Palou. In 2026, second places will need to become victories — and results outside the top ten simply won’t do.

“This year is all about execution,” O’Ward said. “We can’t afford the little slip?ups we’ve had every year so far. We’re striving for perfection, striving for that flawless season. I believe we’re at the point where that final step toward the Indy 500 win and the championship is right there. We don’t need to reinvent anything — we’re already there. We just have to get it done.”

Christian Lundgaard proved to be the ideal teammate for O’Ward last year, matching his pace during his first season with the team. What he still lacks is experience, making his main objective for 2026 to grow further and maintain consistency.

“My primary goal is to be better,” said Lundgaard. “For me, it’s about continuing the progression, learning, and improving. We gained good momentum on ovals last year, and in ’26 we have to keep building on that. At a minimum, we need to perform as well as 2025 — ideally, better. Everyone’s been working hard over the winter, and I think we’ve worked harder than anyone else. That’s why I’m confident we’ll see strong results.”

Nolan Siegel joined McLaren midway through the 2024 IndyCar season, but his rookie campaign never quite clicked. The struggles continued into 2025: the 21?year?old often lacked pace compared to his teammates and ended up leading the series in crashes — usually the result of lost focus. For 2026, team principal Tony Kanaan has given Siegel one clear mission: deliver.

“I’m really excited about 2026,” Siegel said. “We’ve got clear goals and things to improve on. We’ve taken big steps during the off?season, and now it’s about execution. I learned so much last year, and I’m lucky to have T.K. (Tony Kanaan) and great teammates around me. I feel much better prepared heading into 2026 than I did last year. There’s absolutely no reason we can’t be successful together.”