Arrow McLaren has announced the departure of its IndyCar team principal Gavin Ward after two seasons.
While the announcement came on Tuesday morning, the team revealed that Ward's status was effective on Monday 18 November.
A team statement described the development as a “mutual and strategic decision as the team positions itself for growth and performance” heading into the 2025 season.
Arrow McLaren's lead driver Pato O'Ward finished fifth in the 2024 standings, taking three victories including in the first race of IndyCar's hybrid era at Mid-Ohio in July.
“I leave Arrow McLaren after two years developing a people-first culture set to topple the 20-year domination of IndyCar’s championship teams,” Ward said.
“We’ve made major strides during my tenure. Our 2024 IndyCar season delivered the team’s most-ever race wins (three), and we came within two turns of victory in the Indianapolis 500.
“Arrow McLaren is positioned for further success with a stable driver lineup, significant off-season recruitment and thoughtful organisational changes.
“I wish my former colleagues well and hope our work together leads to more wins on and off the track.
“I plan to spend some time at home with my wonderful wife and two daughters while I evaluate what’s next in my career.”
Ward first joined Arrow McLaren in June 2022 as the director of trackside engineering.
He was promoted to the overarching role of race director, which eventually morphed into becoming team principal, ahead of the 2023 season as the team expanded to run three full-time entries.
The 40-year-old Canadian previously spent four seasons as race engineer for Josef Newgarden at Team Penske, the duo collecting 13 wins and the 2019 championship, and spent 12 years in Formula 1 with Red Bull.
Arrow McLaren is yet to announce a replacement for Ward.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said: “I want to thank Gavin for the time he gave to our Arrow McLaren team the past two seasons.
“We’ve grown significantly from where we were when he joined the team in 2022, and he was a big part of that transformation.
“We have a strong team in place, having grown this off-season, and we’re fired up heading into 2025 to fight for race wins and championships.”
Arrow McLaren will enter O'Ward, Nolan Siegel and new signing Christian Lundgaard in 2025, along with a fourth Indianapolis 500-only entry for the 2021 NASCAR Cup champion Kyle Larson in collaboration with Hendrick Motorsports.
The team used five different drivers in 2024, after new signing David Malukas was injured pre-season. He left the team without racing for it, as Callum Ilott, Theo Pourchaire and Siegel shared the #6 entry. Pourchaire also subbed for Alexander Rossi when he was injured in Toronto.
Former Rahal Letterman Lanigan driver Lundgaard will replace Rossi, who has signed for Ed Carpenter Racing.
