Pato O’Ward will start on pole at The Thermal Club Grand Prix, securing a front-row lockout alongside teammate Christian Lundgaard. This marks McLaren’s first-ever 1-2 start in NTT INDYCAR SERIES competition.

After nearly three years without a pole position, O’Ward ended the streak with a blistering 1:39.9567 lap in the Firestone Fast Six. McLaren’s newcomer, Lundgaard, was close behind with a 1:40.1245 lap, just 0.1678 seconds off the veteran’s pace.

“It drives me more as well knowing that we’ll be hopefully two cars fighting and then we can push each other. Previously I think that’s only been on occasions, where I feel like that’s going to be more consistent now”, Lungaard comments.

This pole position was a remarkable turnaround for Mexican driver Pato O’Ward. He bounced back from a frustrating 23rd-place qualifying effort at the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

With many strategic uncertainties still in play, it remains to be seen whether the McLaren drivers can convert their strong starting positions into podium finishes. This sets the stage for what could be an exciting race.