The 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season was the first full campaign for Team Principal Gavin Ward at the helm of the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team. After joining the team halfway through 2022, Gavin oversaw a major shift in the last offseason as the team grew from a two-car lineup to three. To no surprise, this was an action-packed season for Arrow McLaren. There were challenges along the way, but the 2023 season proved to be a satisfying one for Gavin. 

“We went into 2023 thinking that if we maintained or improved our performance from the year before that it would be a good year, and I think overall I’d say that’s what we did,” Gavin said. “We solidified our place as the third-best team overall. Really, it was fun to see the team gel, and we had a lot of fun going racing.” 

The growth of Arrow McLaren was one of the biggest storylines in the entire NTT INDYCAR SERIES entering the 2023 season. To accommodate the addition of a third full-time car, the team increased its workforce by over 40%. The rapid growth led to its fair share of growing pains and on-track issues along the way, however, with one full season under their belts, Gavin is confident the experience will set the team up for more success next year. 

“Now that we’ve grown and we’re not looking to onboard so many people, this is an offseason to focus on buttoning up our procedures and our way of working to improve. It’s not an easy thing to fix overnight, but we have time now to get there.”

Gavin, who was promoted from Racing Director to Team Principal in October, oversaw plenty of positive developments and moments this year. On top of the 10 podiums and Felix’s front-row start at the Indianapolis 500, he noted that he was impressed with the way the No. 5 crew came together quickly. 

“Pato made a real step in the offseason, and his crew did a phenomenal job this year,” Gavin said. “(No. 5 race engineer and car communicator) Will Anderson stepping up to be on the radio worked out really well. I thought he picked that up fantastically and brought a bit of personality to it. We were in the fight there in nearly every race.” 

Gavin also made note of the impact Alexander Rossi had on the team. He put together consistent results throughout the year and was frequently in position to score quality points, and even if he wasn’t in contention to win, he brought valuable intangibles to Arrow McLaren. 

“I think right from the word go, as soon as he walked through the door, Alexander brought a level of professionalism to the job and dedication that I think helped the team become stronger,” Gavin said. “You never know how it’s going to go when you bring in a new person to the team, but he has fit in quite well.”

There were ups and downs for Arrow McLaren as the season went on, but down the stretch, Gavin and the team found a bit of a groove. The strong results in St. Louis and Portland, and pole in Laguna Seca, helped Chevrolet take home the manufacturer’s championship, which Gavin said the team was excited to contribute to. 

On top of the results, Gavin felt like he began to better find his footing as the leader of the team. The Racing Director role was a new one for him, and he realized once he was able to lean into the strengths of his team more, the better things became. 

“I came to appreciate the strength and depth of the team that’s here and the quality of the individuals and their characters after working so closely with everyone,” Gavin said. “I learned that I can make better use of our people. I took a step back and, hopefully, let people feel empowered, which I think is part of what it takes to build an awesome race team. There’s plenty of depth on this team, and for me, this year was about learning to lean into that.”