ST. PETERSBURG, FL – As the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg approaches, Arrow McLaren enters the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season with a stable driver lineup and renewed technical focus, aiming to solidify its position as a top contender. The team finished strongly in 2025, emerging as the closest challenger to Chip Ganassi Racing, and is looking to build on that momentum.
A Consistent Core
Arrow McLaren will field the same three drivers in 2026 as it did last season: Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Chevrolet, Nolan Siegel in the No. 6 Chevrolet, and Christian Lundgaard in the No. 7 Chevrolet. This continuity is a strategic advantage, particularly as several other teams have undergone driver changes.
2025 Review: Progress and Potential
In 2025, Pato O’Ward delivered a strong performance, finishing second in the points standings. He secured two victories – at Iowa Speedway and on the streets of Toronto – and consistently demonstrated race pace, earning 10 top-five finishes and tying for 12 top-ten results. Christian Lundgaard enjoyed a breakout season in his first year with the team, significantly improving his results and doubling his career podium total to six. His success was particularly impressive considering the car he inherited had only achieved four podiums in its previous 81 starts. Lundgaard ranked third in top-five finishes (six) and fourth in top-ten finishes (11).
Nolan Siegel, in his first full season, finished 22nd in points. Despite a setback at Iowa Speedway where he was sidelined due to concussion-like symptoms, Siegel showed promise, doubling his career top-ten total to two and leading 11 laps. He averaged a 14.8 starting position, but finished races in 17.3 position on average, indicating room for improvement as he enters the final year of his contract.
Key Personnel Changes and Technical Enhancements
While the driver lineup remains unchanged, Arrow McLaren has made significant personnel adjustments during the offseason. Veteran manager and executive Brian Barnhart has departed to join Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing as senior vice president of operations, and longtime mechanic Kyle Sagan has also moved to RLL as pit stop manager.
However, Arrow McLaren has responded by bolstering its technical team with the addition of Olivier Boisson as head of damper engineering. Boisson brings a wealth of INDYCAR SERIES experience, having previously worked with KV Racing Technology (2008-2016), Dale Coyne Racing (2016-2021), and Andretti Global, where he became a race engineer in October 2021. Andretti Global established itself as a strong street-course team during Boisson’s tenure, earning five street-course wins since 2022 and placing a driver on the front row for all four street races last season.
The team also hired Eric Cowdin as director of engineering last September, further strengthening its technical leadership. These additions are aimed at improving performance, particularly on street courses, where O’Ward and Lundgaard averaged eighth-place finishes in 2025, while Siegel averaged 20.5.
Challenging the Established Order
Christian Lundgaard believes Arrow McLaren is well-positioned to remain the top Chevrolet team, even in the face of a potential resurgence from Team Penske. Penske experienced a challenging 2025 season, with its drivers finishing ninth, tenth, and twelfth in the points standings, but is expected to be more competitive in 2026. “Thinking about Penske’s ’25 season, there was a lot of bad luck and a lot of unfortunate results,” Lundgaard said. “I think we were still faster all year round. I don’t see that changing. What they’re doing and what we’re doing – we’re all pushing to move forward. We just have to stick to it and keep doing what we’re doing, and I think we’ll be in the same position.”
Historically, Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing have dominated the series, winning every championship since 2013. However, Arrow McLaren’s consistent performance and strategic investments suggest they are poised to challenge that dominance, especially if they can continue to improve on street courses.
Internal Competition and the Pursuit of Victory
A compelling internal dynamic within Arrow McLaren centers around Pato O’Ward’s recent success. O’Ward has secured the team’s last nine victories, and no other driver has won for the organization since James Hinchcliffe’s win at Iowa in July 2018, when the team was known as Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. The question remains: how will O’Ward respond if either Lundgaard or Siegel breaks through and secures a victory? This would introduce a new competitive element within the team, potentially shifting the internal balance.
