Arrow McLaren group principal Gavin Ward has cut up with the NTT IndyCar Collection group he led for the final two seasons.
The Canadian joined Arrow McLaren from Crew Penske, the place he gained the 2019 championship as Josef Newgarden’s race engineer, midway by way of 2022. Ward’s technical experience was the primary space of contribution to the McLaren squad, and when group president Taylor Kiel left for Chip Ganassi Racing in September of 2022, Ward was promoted to race director and Brian Barnhart was employed as its new normal supervisor reporting to Ward. Ward’s title was revised to group principal in 2023.
McLaren introduced title and position modifications for sporting director Tony Kanaan in October; the IndyCar champion and Indianapolis 500 winner taking up various Ward’s non-competition duties whereas being elevated to assistant group principal.
The streamlining of Ward’s tasks got here in response to the group falling in need of its championship goal this yr. Reassigning sure tasks to Kanaan was meant to permit Ward to infuse extra of his engineering and technical experience into the entries for Pato O’Ward, Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel, and the revised hierarchy construction was meant to take the group to new heights in 2025.
However that plan has been shelved, leaving Kanaan, who joined the group after finishing his IndyCar farewell with the group on the 2023 Indy 500, as its new chief in live performance with Barnhart and McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown.
Looking back, the swift transfer from a technical position to main a whole group for the primary time may need been carried out at a sooner charge than was optimum. A alternative is probably going, however no candidates have been recognized in the mean time.
“I depart Arrow McLaren after two years growing a people-first tradition set to topple the 20-year domination of IndyCar’s championship groups,” Ward mentioned. “We’ve made main strides throughout my tenure. Our 2024 IndyCar season delivered the group’s most-ever race wins, and we got here inside two turns of victory within the Indianapolis 500. Arrow McLaren is positioned for additional success – with a steady driver lineup, important low season recruitment and considerate organizational modifications.
“I want my former colleagues effectively and hope our work collectively results in extra wins on and off the monitor. I plan to spend a while at residence with my fantastic spouse and two daughters whereas I consider what’s subsequent in my profession.”
Ward introduced a special strategy to operating a racing group, putting a larger emphasis on psychological well being and inclusivity than was customary within the collection previous to his appointment. McLaren’s determination to put a race engineer and technical director atop the group was one other distinctive side of Ward’s tenure with this system.
“I need to thank Gavin for the time he gave to our Arrow McLaren group the previous two seasons,” Brown mentioned. “We’ve grown considerably from the place we have been when he joined the group in 2022, and he was a giant a part of that transformation. We have now a robust group in place, having grown this low season, and we’re fired up heading into 2025 to battle for race wins and championships.”
