McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown says the team's US outfit was flying at the front of the field in Sunday's Indy 500, but ultimately its drivers failed to get the job done.
Just a few hours after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri delivered a double points finish to McLaren in Monaco, team papaya was running strong on the other side of the Atlantic, with three of its four entries in contention for a win in the Indianapolis 500.
But as the race entered its final 20 laps, the drama began to unfold.
Self-inflicted wounds eliminated both Felix Rosenqvist and Pato O'Ward, leaving Alexander Rossi, who placed fifth, as Arrow McLaren's top performer, while Indy veteran Tony Kanaan concluded his career at the Speedway a distant 15th.
It was a disappointing end to the Woking-based outfit's day at the Brickyard.
"Last year, we were like $1 short, and this year, we had $1 in our pocket; we were cruising," Brown told RACER.
"We had a fuel issue on Pato’s car that ended up not becoming an issue at the end, but I think we had those two cars, and Rossi there or thereabouts, but we didn’t get it done.
"But I think the upside is we had the cars to win. We were flying and they were having fun. It was like, ‘You lead for a few laps, then you lead for a few laps.’ They were so hooked up.
"The results are disappointing, but other than that, what an awesome Indy 500! We were fast and had two cars that were on for the win, and Rossi was right there too."
Despite the anti-climactic epilogue, Brown praised the achievements in IndyCar this year of the Arrow McLaren SP squad led by Racing Director Gavin Ward.
"Couldn’t be happier," said Brown. "We are a threat to win every weekend with multiple cars that are threatening for the championship.
"It wasn’t a good points day for us, but I couldn’t be happier. I think Gavin and the whole team have stepped up. They were definitely a better team than we were last year."
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