IndyCar: How would Patricio O'Ward have performed at Harding Steinbrenner Racing?

Had Patricio O’Ward not lost his full-time ride with Harding Steinbrenner Racing for the 2019 IndyCar season, how would he have performed?

Ever since shortly after the 2018 IndyCar season and 2018 Indy Lights champion Patricio O’Ward made his IndyCar debut in the season finale at Sonoma Raceway, he had been slated to drive full-time as a teammate to Colton Herta at Harding Steinbrenner Racing in the 2019 IndyCar season.

This news was confirmed shortly after Harding Racing formed a partnership with Steinbrenner Racing, the team that formed a partnership with Andretti Autosport to field an entry for Herta in the 2017 and 2018 Indy Lights season, to form Harding Steinbrenner Racing for the 2019 season.

But O’Ward and Harding Steinbrenner Racing recently parted ways, meaning that the team’s only full-time driver for the 2019 season is set to be Herta, who finished as the runner-up to O’Ward in the 2018 Indy Lights championship.

When the recent departure of O’Ward from Harding Steinbrenner Racing was confirmed, it was thought by many fans that it could be a blessing in disguise for him as a result of the fact that the team have not been all that competitive.

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But this may not end up being the case.

Both O’Ward and Herta made their respective IndyCar debuts in the 2018 season finale at Sonoma Raceway, and both drivers did so driving for Harding Racing, which had not recorded a single top 12 finish in any of the first 16 races of the 17-race season nor in any of their last 17 races.

O’Ward delivered the team their best qualifying result ever by getting to the Firestone Fast Six, the third and final round of qualifying for the race, and qualifying in fifth place. Herta, meanwhile, qualified in 19th place.

O’Ward went on to finish the race in ninth place, securing the team their first top 12 finish since Gabby Chaves finished in fifth in the June race at Texas Motor Speedway in the 2017 season, which was a wreck-fest of a race that resulted in only seven drivers actually finishing with their cars in one piece. Herta, meanwhile, finished in 20th.

Throughout the 17-race 2018 Indy Lights season, O’Ward earned nine victories, 13 podium finishes, 15 top four finishes and 17 top seven finishes. He finished every race on the schedule. Herta, meanwhile, earned four victories, 13 podium finishes and 14 top four finishes. His three non-top four finishes were all top eight finishes, but they were all DNFs.

Yet in Spring Training at Circuit of the Americas ahead of the 2019 IndyCar season, Herta beat everyone, and I mean everybody. He topped the speed charts in three of the four test sessions at the 20-turn, 3.427-mile (5.515-kilometer) road course in Austin, Texas, and he finished in second place in the other. He finished on top of the combined speed chart.

What would have happened if O’Ward had been given the same opportunity? More importantly, will Herta be able to transfer this success into the season itself, and if so, once again, how would O’Ward have performed if he had been given the same opportunity?

With Harding Steinbrenner Racing having formed a technical alliance with Andretti Autosport for the 2019 season, don’t expect Herta’s performance in Spring Training to be a fluke. While it may not be truly 100% indicative of the season he will have from start don’t finish, don’t be surprised to see him compete at the front fairly often throughout the year and perhaps even find victory lane.

Again, what would O’Ward, who outperformed Herta in both their lone full season competing in Indy Lights together and in their IndyCar debut, have been able to do driving for Harding Steinbrenner Racing this season had he and the team not parted ways?

It is not too far-fetched to think that that 19-year-old Monterrey, Mexico native could have been even faster than Herta in Spring Training and that he would have had an even better chance to have success throughout the 2019 season than the 18-year-old Valencia, California native has.

But we will never know for sure.

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How well would Patricio O’Ward performed in the 17-race 2019 IndyCar season had he and Harding Steinbrenner Racing not parted ways?

As stated, will never know for sure, but we can make an educated guess based on the success of Colton Herta throughout the season, which is scheduled to get underway on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida in just over three weeks with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 10. Will O’Ward end up driving full-time for any team this year?

IndyCar: How would Patricio O’Ward have performed at Harding Steinbrenner Racing?

By Asher Fair | Feb 16, 2019

Had Patricio O’Ward not lost his full-time ride with Harding Steinbrenner Racing for the 2019 IndyCar season, how would he have performed?