Pato O’Ward is not done yet.
After a dominant drive from 10th on the grid to victory in the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, the Arrow McLaren driver has slashed Alex Palou’s commanding championship lead by 30 points. He’s reminded the paddock that the NTT INDYCAR SERIES title fight isn’t quite over.
Coming into Toronto, Palou held a 129-point lead over O’Ward. It was the largest cushion any leader has ever carried this deep into a season under the current format. But by the time the chequered flag flew on Sunday, that gap was down to 99. Four races remain. All are circuits where both drivers have strong history.
A Bird, a Bounce, and a Breakthrough
“I can’t say I saw this coming,” O’Ward said. “But I was feeling good on the primaries all weekend. We just couldn’t get the alternates to work in qualifying. And sadly, that’s the one you need to transfer.”
That didn’t matter on race day. A well-timed Lap 3 caution allowed O’Ward to get rid of his stint on the less-favoured alternates early and commit to a three-stop strategy on primary tyres from that point on. It worked.
More than that, the win was his first ever in Toronto. For a circuit that’s often been one of his biggest hurdles, it marked a real turning point. And yes, there was a superstition in the air.
“A bird dropped a present on me and the car during warm-up,” O’Ward laughed. “I said, ‘That’s going to be a good day.’ And it was.”
Surprise Podiums and Ganassi Growing Pains
While O’Ward grabbed the headlines, two other drivers left Toronto with season-best results. Rinus VeeKay finished second for Dale Coyne Racing, claiming his first podium since 2022. Kyffin Simpson went one better — earning his first ever INDYCAR podium in third for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Polesitter Colton Herta led the Andretti charge in fourth. Teammates Marcus Ericsson and Kyle Kirkwood followed him home in fifth and sixth.
Palou, meanwhile, dropped to 12th. He had started second, and chose the primary tyres for the opening stint. It was a rare strategic gamble that backfired.
“I chose the strategy,” he admitted. “I thought it gave us the best shot to win. It kind of worked after the first yellow, but in the end it wasn’t enough.”
Scott Dixon ran a similar plan and finished 10th.
Penske’s Pain Continues
For Team Penske, it was another race to forget. Scott McLaughlin lost a wheel after a pit stop and hit the wall. Josef Newgarden was caught in a Turn 1 pile-up and had a car land on top of him. Will Power made it to the finish, but only just, after bouncing off the Turn 3 wall in a midfield scrap.
The results said it all. Power finished 11th. Newgarden 23rd. McLaughlin 26th.
Wall Hits, Wing Breaks, and a Yellow Finish
It was another bruising day on the streets of Toronto. Christian Rasmussen and Alexander Rossi both retired after hitting the wall with right-rear failures. Rasmussen was squeezed in a fight with Power. Rossi’s car stepped out after hitting a bump.
The race ended under caution after Felix Rosenqvist lost control and was hit from behind by teammate Nolan Siegel. It was the third incident Rosenqvist had endured in a messy afternoon, twice colliding with Power earlier on.
Santino Ferrucci was a non-starter after crashing in morning practice. He also suffered a bruised right hand, and AJ Foyt Racing had no time to repair the car.
Four Races Left. Ninety-Nine Points.
Palou still leads the championship, and two of the next four races are venues where he’s already won twice — Laguna Seca and Portland. But O’Ward has the momentum. He’s won two of the last three. And the Milwaukee Mile, where he triumphed last year, is back on the calendar.
A win is worth 54 points. The maths is tight, but the fight is alive.
Toronto just lit the fuse.