Arrow McLaren announced on Tuesday that team principal Gavin Ward has departed from the IndyCar team following two seasons, a move described as a mutual and strategic decision among the company’s executive leadership.

In his absence, Arrow McLaren will depend on several leadership appointments, including former Indianapolis 500 champion Tony Kanaan and ex-IndyCar race director Brian Barnhart, to guide the team forward.

Reflecting on his time at Arrow McLaren, Ward stated, “I leave Arrow McLaren after two years developing a people-first culture set to topple the 20-year domination of IndyCar’s championship teams. We’ve made significant progress during my tenure. Our 2024 IndyCar season achieved the most race wins in the team’s history, and we narrowly missed victory at the Indianapolis 500. Arrow McLaren is well-positioned for future achievements—thanks to a stable driver lineup, substantial offseason recruitment, and careful organizational adjustments.” Ward mentioned his intention to spend quality time with his wife and two daughters as he considers his next career move.

Originally from Canada, Ward began his motorsport journey by volunteering with a local Formula Ford racing team. After high school, he relocated to England to pursue a degree in automotive engineering at Oxford Brookes University.

Ward’s path in the motorsports world took off with an internship at Red Bull Racing in Formula 1, where he quickly climbed the ranks, accumulating nine years of experience in various roles including trackside control systems engineer, tire and vehicle dynamics engineer, and race engineer for drivers like David Coulthard, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel, and Daniel Ricciardo.

During his tenure at Red Bull, Ward contributed to the team’s four championship titles and over 50 F1 victories, notably celebrating as the winning constructor at the 2013 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix when Red Bull finished in a 1-2 formation. He transitioned into the aero design department at Red Bull the following year.

Ward made the switch to the IndyCar Series in 2018, taking on the role of race engineer with Team Penske before joining Arrow McLaren; however, he had to sit out nearly a year prior to his induction into the McLaren setup.

Over the course of his two-year leadership in the IndyCar division, McLaren secured three race victories last year, mainly driven by Pato O’Ward. Nonetheless, the team has faced challenges, particularly after three-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou decided against his move to McLaren from Chip Ganassi Racing, leading to Ward spending much of 2024 filling gaps in the lineup.

As for the team’s 2025 iteration, it will feature O’Ward as the lone returning driver, with Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel rounding out the three-car roster. Siegel joined McLaren mid-season last year.

Expressing gratitude towards Ward, McLaren CEO Zak Brown said, “I want to thank Gavin for the time he invested in our Arrow McLaren team over the past two seasons. We’ve seen considerable growth from where we were when he joined us in 2022, and he played a crucial role in that transformation. We have a robust team moving forward, having expanded this offseason, and we’re excited as we head into 2025 to compete for race wins and championships.”