Duck O'Ward will start on pole on a track where overtaking is difficult, and he also got a free ride on his rivals' lousy track position. Championship on fire after Mid-Ohio
Balance is king in Indy qualifying in 2022. Pato O'Ward became the ninth different pole-position in nine races contested so far, and the chance to start in the position of honor could not have come at a better opportunity for the Mexican. He will face one of Indy's most heavily trafficked tracks, and with his main rivals in the title race in need of comeback races.
McLaren showed at almost every moment of qualifying at Mid-Ohio that it could be at the top, either with O'Ward or Felix Rosenqvist, and the team's good performance was essential at a track where smaller teams could get close and beat the leaders. Dale Coyne, Foyt and Juncos managed to get a place in the top-10, taking advantage of a session in which any detail became crucial to get the best grid position.
"It was a good session for us. I couldn't get a lap in the first two sessions, but I did the third time. The car is great, we didn't start in the best way possible, but we made great changes during the night, we put ourselves in a good window and I was able to extract the full potential," explained Pato.
And it was these details, for example, that knocked Marcus Ericsson and Josef Newgarden out of the top-10. Both were eliminated in the first segment of qualifying, and will have to work hard sharing the seventh row. Mid-Ohio is not in the habit of being a chaotic race marked by accidents. At the same time, both the Swede and the American will need to rely heavily on the strategies of Ganassi and Penske to reduce damage and come up with good points on Sunday.
The detail was not Will Power's problem. In second place in the championship, the Australian paid dearly for having disturbed Helio Castroneves' lap in Q1 and ended up being punished, starting only 21st. Even though he has made good recoveries recently by starting from the bottom, it is the kind of thing that will not happen every day, and in a season as balanced as the one in 2022, and it is an unforgivable mistake for a title contender.
With all that said, O'Ward is a clear favorite to win at Lexington on Sunday. The pole sitter has won four of the last five races at Mid-Ohio, and besides the opportunity to win for the second time in 2022, having his main rivals behind him is a golden chance to spice up the title race even more, making everything more even for the rest of the July marathon.
If Pato has a chance to establish himself as a strong title contender in Lexington, who sees a good opportunity to try to get back into contention is Scott McLaughlin. Without podiums since his traumatic loss at Texas, he shares the front row with O'Ward and has been on a good pace almost the entire time so far this weekend. A good result is essential to keep the New Zealander's dreams alive.
Even if it's not as busy as other mixed circuits, Mid-Ohio always provides strategic battles to pay close attention to, and the championship could take on a new face after this Sunday.