Arrow McLaren's team principal Gavin Ward has departed after leading the NTT IndyCar Series team for two seasons. Ward, who previously won the 2019 championship as Josef Newgarden's race engineer at Team Penske, joined McLaren in mid-2022.

Initially contributing his technical expertise, Ward was promoted to race director when Taylor Kiel left for Chip Ganassi Racing. His role evolved to team principal in 2023, with Brian Barnhart serving as general manager under his leadership. Recently, Tony Kanaan was elevated to assistant team principal, taking on several of Ward's non-competition responsibilities.

The reorganization aimed to allow Ward to focus more on technical aspects for drivers Pato O'Ward, Christian Lundgaard, and Nolan Siegel. However, these plans have now been abandoned, with Kanaan and Barnhart taking leadership roles alongside McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown.

Under Ward's tenure, the team achieved its highest number of race wins in 2024 and nearly secured an Indianapolis 500 victory. He was known for implementing a people-first culture and emphasizing mental health and inclusivity in the racing environment.

"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 stated, adding that he plans to spend time with his family while considering his next career move.

Zak Brown acknowledged Ward's contribution: "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."

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