It’s not often that an IndyCar driver leaves Chip Ganassi Racing to go to another team in the series on their own accord.
But that’s exactly what Felix Rosenqvist did ahead of the 2021 season when he announced that he’d be heading to Arrow McLaren Schmidt Peterson. The Swedish native joins Pato O’Ward on the two-car team as they look to make waves in the big three’s plans this season.
Their success in the first race weekend of the season and the move from months prior has created an amount of intrigue surrounding the group going into the year.
The major question lies in whether or not they have what it takes to compete against those top three teams.
I think, bar none, in Alabama they showed exactly that.
Arrow McLaren SP kicked off the year with O’Ward setting the track record and sitting on the pole position to start the race.
If they lack anything, it’s not speed.
Now, on the other side of the garage, Rosenqvist and his team only managed a P22 starting spot, getting swept up in the wreck on the opening lap of the race.
It’s understandable. It’s a new combination in the team and I don’t expect much from them in the first four races of 2021. Getting in that accident and logging laps away from traffic couldn’t have helped in the slightest either.
But the ceiling isn’t hanging low. That’s what O’Ward’s finish on Sunday – and the fourth-place finish in the point standings – last season showed.
Arrow McLaren SP is here to compete. That was the goal when they combined Arrow Electronics, McLaren Racing and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.
Overarchingly, it’s evident that this team will compete this year. When it comes to contending for a championship, that’s where they’ve got to break through for wins.
Rosenqvist and O’Ward have just one IndyCar win between them – and it came when Felix was at Ganassi a season ago.
If they can break through to the winners circle for a pair of wins or even just one, Arrow McLaren SP can do some big things.
The team has its next chance on Sunday as the tour invades St. Pete.
| IndyCar Standings | ||||
| Position | Driver | Points | Behind | |
| 1 | Alex Palou | 53 | – | |
| 2 | Will Power | 41 | -12 | |
| 3 | Scott Dixon | 35 | -18 | |
| 4 | Pato O’Ward | 34 | -19 | |
| 5 | Sebastien Bourdais | 31 | -22 | |
| 6 | Rinus VeeKay | 29 | -24 | |
| 7 | Graham Rahal | 26 | -27 | |
| 8 | Marcus Ericsson | 24 | -29 | |
| 9 | Alexander Rossi | 22 | -31 | |
| 10 | Romain Grosjean | 20 | -33 | |
| 11 | Jack Harvey | 19 | -34 | |
| 12 | Simon Pagenaud | 18 | -35 | |
| 13 | Takuma Sato | 17 | -36 | |
| 14 | Scott McLaughlin ® | 16 | -37 | |
| 15 | Ed Jones | 15 | -38 | |
