IndyCar star Pato O'Ward blasts officials after frightening Honda Indy Toronto crash

Photo: © IMAGO

IndyCar

Championship contender BLASTS IndyCar after frightening crash

Fortunately he escaped without serious injury

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson

Tuesday 23 July 2024 17:00

IndyCar race officials came under fire from Arrow McLaren star and championship contender Pato O'Ward on Sunday following a frightening pile-up in the Honda Indy Toronto.

O'ward was running sixth with just 13 laps of the race remaining when suddenly, his day was flipped on its head. Losing control of his papaya-colored car at turn one, the no 5 driver was left in a very unsafe position on the track.

Eight cars successfully avoided colliding with the McLaren, but that luck would soon end. Quickly, a trio of cars made contact, causing a scary series of collisions and ultimately, a red flag.

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Santino Ferrucci's point of view of the incident would have been extremely terrifying, with the AJ Foyt driver catapulted high into the air and the circuit fence after slamming into the nose of the stationary McLaren.

Pato O'Ward critical of IndyCar officials

The lack of action regarding a yellow was something O'Ward pointed out when assessing the accident after the race, explaining that IndyCar are 'calling for a massive shunt' by not taking action in such scenarios.

“I had rear locking. It spun and that's pretty much the end of that," the McLaren driver explained post-race.

“I am so surprised IndyCar didn’t call a yellow. Like, you're just calling for a massive shunt. They had a solid five seconds to call yellow and tell everybody that was coming.

A massive Turn 1 incident involving multiple cars sends the No. 14 airborne.

The red flag has been displayed.

📺: #IndyTO on Peacock pic.twitter.com/pxVdFIsQ68
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) July 21, 2024

“But I'm glad everybody else that was in it is fine.

"Sorry for the team. Obviously, we were having a better race than what we've had all weekend. It's really been miserable.”

O'Ward also took to social media to continue his criticism of IndyCar, calling them out once again for not throwing a yellow.

The no 5 driver's result in Toronto means he now sits fifth in the IndyCar standings this season, 71 points adrift of current championship leader Alex Palou.

The race in Toronto was eventually won by Colton Herta, ending the no 26 driver's long wait for another victory.

IndyCar Alex Palou Pato O'Ward Arrow McLaren Iowa Speedway Santino Ferrucci