IndyCar: A blessing in disguise for Patricio O’Ward?

By Asher Fair | Feb 12, 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) /

Could the parting of ways between Patricio O’Ward and Harding Steinbrenner Racing end up being a blessing in disguise for the rising IndyCar star?

Patricio O’Ward will not drive for Harding Steinbrenner Racing in the 2019 IndyCar season despite the fact that it was announced last September that he would do so.

O’Ward made his IndyCar debut in the 2018 season finale at Sonoma Raceway driving for Harding Racing after winning the 2018 Indy Lights championship driving for Andretti Steinbrenner Racing, and it was confirmed shortly thereafter that Harding Racing and Steinbrenner Racing would form a partnership for the 2019 season and that they would field two cars on a full-time basis.

O’Ward was set to drive the #8 car, which he drove to a ninth place finish in the 2018 season finale at Sonoma Raceway after starting in fifth.

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While O’Ward drove the #8 Chevrolet in this race, he was set to drive the #8 Honda on a full-time basis in the 2019 season as a result of the fact that the team announced this past December that they would be switching manufacturers from Chevrolet to Honda.

But rumors recently emerged that Harding Steinbrenner Racing might not have the funding to field two cars on a full-time basis in the 2019 season, and shortly thereafter, O’Ward and the team parted ways.

As a result, the rising star who won nine of the 17 races on the 2018 Indy Lights schedule and recorded four other podium finishes throughout the season was left without a full-time ride for what was originally set to be his rookie IndyCar season.

However, this could end up being a blessing in disguise for the 19-year-old Mexican.

Because of the fact that he won the 2018 Indy Lights championship, O’Ward was awarded a $1 million scholarship that guarantees him an entry in three of the 17 races on the 2019 IndyCar schedule, including the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500, which is scheduled to be held on its traditional date, Memorial Day Sunday.

This means that O’Ward should still end up competing in IndyCar this year on some level.

Aside of O’Ward’s fifth place start and ninth place finish in the 2018 season finale at Sonoma Raceway, Harding Racing’s top starting position and top finishing position of the season were eighth and 13th, respectively.

To compare directly, Colton Herta, who finished runner-up to O’Ward in the 2018 Indy Lights championship standings, also made his IndyCar debut in this race, and he also did so driving for Harding Racing. Herta, who is still set to drive full-time for Harding Steinbrenner Racing in the 2019 season as was originally planned, finished this race in 20th place after starting it in 19th.

By no stretch of the imagination is it inaccurate to say that Harding Racing were one of the sport’s slowest teams if not the slowest team, and that likely won’t change even with them having become Harding Steinbrenner Racing and having switched from Chevrolet engines to Honda engines.

The fact that they are set to rely on the technical expertise of Michael Andretti, the owner of the Honda-powered Andretti Autosport team, may help, but not to the point where it elevates them to the level of a championship-contending team.

In one race, O’Ward not only showed the IndyCar world what he is capable of, but he showed that even a great result in his first career race in subpar equipment is nowhere near where his ceiling is.

Even if O’Ward doesn’t end up driving full-time in the 2019 season, he will likely end up driving part-time for a team that will give him better equipment than Harding Steinbrenner Racing would have given him for however many races in which he competes.

This would give him the opportunity to prove that his impressive showing in the 2018 season finale at Sonoma Raceway was not a fluke, and it could help him build a case for a future full-time ride with one of IndyCar’s top teams.

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Will Patricio O’Ward end up getting an opportunity to compete in the 2019 IndyCar season, and will that opportunity be in the form a full-time ride? If he does compete in the series this year, for which team will he drive? The season is scheduled to get underway in less than one month, so expect these questions to be answered in the very near future.