Mechanical failure frustrates Pato O'Ward in Portland

The 2025 Portland Grand Prix ended in frustration for Mexican Pato O'Ward , who prematurely abandoned the fight for victory due to an electrical failure in his Arrow McLaren , and in consecration for Spaniard Alex Palou , who secured his fourth IndyCar title after finishing third.

O'Ward started from pole position and held a solid lead in the opening laps, hoping to close the 121-point gap that separated him from Palou in the championship.

To keep the fight alive, the Monterrey native needed to close the gap to less than 108 points, forcing the Catalan to wait until Milwaukee or Nashville to decide the title. However, fate changed on lap 22: an engine injector failure stopped his car at the pit entrance, just a few meters from his service position.

Arrow McLaren mechanics rushed him to the race and discovered a problem with the fuel injection wiring. The repair took nine laps, enough time for O'Ward to fall out of contention and earn only six points, leaving him with 475 points on the leaderboard and mathematically securing the championship for Palou.

On track, Will Power took advantage of the circumstances to take the victory, his first of the season and his third for Chevrolet in 2025. The Australian from Penske dominated the race pace and executed impeccable pit stops to stay ahead of Christian Lundgaard , who finished second and was again close to his first victory with Arrow McLaren.

The race was not without incident. From the 37-minute delayed start, O'Ward controlled Felix Rosenqvist, while Palou climbed positions on primary tires against rivals who started on alternative compounds. Three yellow flags in the first 14 laps, caused by incidents involving Santino Ferrucci, Kyffin Simpson , and a collision between Conor Daly and Christian Rasmussen , altered strategies and led to O'Ward's first early stop.

Just when it seemed he could regain the lead with an alternative strategy, a breakdown sealed the fate of his race and the championship. Despite returning to the track nine laps down, the Mexican completed the race solely out of professional pride.

Palou, with his third place, brought an early close to a championship he dominated with consistency and regularity, confirming his place among the best in the category.

The IndyCar Series will continue next Sunday, August 24, with the Milwaukee Grand Prix, the penultimate race of the season.

MF