The young racer, O’Ward, had a tough time last year when he crashed near the end of the race. Even though he did well in practice on Monday, he didn’t feel very confident about his chances in the big race on Sunday. He said, “Definitely hasn’t been the best of the days of the month. We’ve had some annoying issue that we just can’t seem to perfect.” When asked more about the problem, O’Ward said, “Too many variables.”
He added, “We’re slow. We know what it is, but it’s a lot easier said than done to fix it or not have the issue. It just sucks when you’re not fast enough around here. You feel helpless.”
O’Ward will start the race from the eighth position. Last year, he started from a similar position and ended up in second place. In practice on Monday, many cars were running together in groups, practicing how to race closely. Some drivers, like Colton Herta, could move up the field, but others struggled.
O’Ward said, “I think it’s just part of what you have to kind of battle with around this place. There’s a fine line with everything. If you want more speed, you’re going to give up in other performance areas where you kind of need them all in the race. It’s just part of it.”
McLaren’s team principal, Gard Ward, is still hopeful. He said, “We feel pretty good about where we’re at and we have some happy drivers. We’re chipping away at things bit by bit. There’s one more session to go and then it’s time for the real thing.”
