IndyCar: Patricio O’Ward won’t drive for Harding Steinbrenner Racing in 2019

By Asher Fair | Feb 11, 2019

SONOMA, CA - SEPTEMBER 15: Patricio O'Ward of Mexico driver of the #8 Harding Racing Chevrolet during qualifying for the Verizon IndyCar Series Sonoma Grand Prix at Sonoma Raceway on September 15, 2018 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) /

Patricio O’Ward was set to drive full-time for Harding Steinbrenner Racing in the 2019 IndyCar season, but he will not do so.

After securing the 2018 Indy Lights championship with nine victories, 13 podium finishes, 15 top four finishes and 17 top seven finishes in 17 races driving for Andretti Steinbrenner Racing, Patricio O’Ward made his IndyCar debut in the 2018 season finale at Sonoma Raceway as the driver of the #8 Harding Racing Chevrolet.

The 19-year-old Mexican qualified in an impressive fifth place for this race before going on to finish it in ninth. A few days later, it was announced that Harding Racing and Steinbrenner Racing would form a partnership for the 2019 IndyCar season and field two cars on a full-time basis.

O’Ward was confirmed as the driver of the #8 car, and Colton Herta, who made his IndyCar debut in the 2018 season finale at Sonoma Raceway alongside O’Ward after finishing in second place in the Indy Lights championship standings, was confirmed as the driver of the #88 car. Herta finished the season finale in 20th place after starting it in 19th.

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It was later announced that Harding Steinbrenner Racing would use Honda engines in the 2019 season and that they would rely on the technical expertise of Michael Andretti, the owner of the Honda-powered Andretti Autosport team.

However, last week, rumors emerged that O’Ward’s 2019 season could be in jeopardy, as there were reports that Harding Steinbrenner Racing had not gotten the necessary funding to fund two cars on a full-time basis.

The team did not participate in this past Friday’s test session at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and they are only set to field one car in the test sessions at Circuit of the Americas tomorrow, Tuesday, February 12, and Wednesday, February 13.

Now it has been confirmed that O’Ward will not drive for Harding Steinbrenner Racing in the 2019 season. Herta, however, is still set to drive full-time for the team.

Here is what O’Ward had to say about leaving the team ahead of the 2019 season, according to Yahoo Sports.

"“The Harding Steinbrenner Racing team supported my decision to seek a new opportunity by releasing me from my contract and allowing me the opportunity to find a new team before the start of the 2019 season. Now I am fully focused on finding the right opportunity and how I will use my scholarship from Indy Lights for 2019.”"

Because of the fact that O’Ward won the 2018 Indy Lights championship, he has a $1 million scholarship that guarantees that he will compete in at least three races throughout the 2019 IndyCar season, including the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 in May, so don’t expect him to be completely out of a ride this year.

The remaining questions at this point appear to revolve around whether or not O’Ward will compete in more than three races throughout the season and for which team or teams he will drive when he does compete.

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Will Patricio O’Ward end up driving full-time in the 2019 IndyCar season? If not, will he end up driving at all? If he does end up driving this year, for which team will he drive and in which races will he do so? The 17-race season is scheduled to get underway in under four weeks on the streets of St. Petersburg in St. Petersburg, Florida with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, so expect to know more about this situation in the near future.