Alex Palou "has won it already" says Pato O'Ward on IndyCar championship despite starting on pole in Portland

Arrow McLaren driver, Pato O'Ward, has admitted that his 2025 championship hopes are minimal despite being the only driver still able to beat Alex Palou to the title.

121 points behind Palou, O'Ward starts on pole after his teammate, Christian Lundgaard, has taken a six place grid penalty for an unapproved engine change.

Starting four places in front of Palou who will start in fifth, O'Ward batted off questions post-qualifying that claimed the result brings him closer into the championship battle.

"The guy's pretty much won it already", O'Ward began, "I know they're making a big deal out of this championship fight [but] we're 130 points back.

"He's got to have the worst luck he's ever had in his career, just like the best luck he's had in his career this year, in order for us to keep this alive.

"We're focusing on our car on our end of the grid and see where we can capitalize and hopefully just keep on scoring points."

O'Ward seemed surprised by his position after qualifying unsure where the pace came from.

In Friday and Saturday practice sessions, O'Ward had looked off the pace while Palou had been a front runner all throughout the weekend.

Speaking straight out of the car, O'Ward clarified that they had made no setup changes and instead looked to the change in track temperatures and its effect on the tyres for answers.

Asked if he is focussing on points, O'Ward explained "I'll be thinking [of] winning the race. The points will take care of themselves."

By setting the fastest lap in qualifying, Lundgaard took home the extra point on the table on Saturday. 

Ultimately taking a point away from O'Ward, questions arose if the Mexican should have asked Lundgaard not to take the point away from him.

O'Ward was quick to say that was not a thought for him or the team with both competing on equal terms at the end of the season.

O'Ward said: "We obviously knew that we had a shot for it in Q3 but I just missed it there by being behind Palou and having to back off a little bit. 

"I'm super pumped to see both cars one-two. I think that's our second one-two. I just missed it there in Q3 a little bit.

"In practice I wasn't feeling super confident just because I was really struggling with the car. I was struggling to get a lap together. When you're operating at over capacity, sometimes when you nail the perfect lap. 

"In Q1, as soon as we went out there, it felt like a completely different car without changing anything."