Pato O’Ward ended a nearly two-year wait for an on-road-win for himself and McLaren, plus a run of six second-place finishes in two years - with a brilliant win fending off IndyCar’s in-form star Alex Palou who was breathing down his neck for over 25 laps.

O’Ward takes the first win of IndyCar’s hybrid era - its new device has been introduced mid-season - to jump to third in the championship with his second win of the season although that came after two Penske cars which finished ahead on the road were disqualified for push-to-pass infringements.

How O’Ward sealed the deal

Palou dominated the first stint building a gap over six seconds to O’Ward, and even after a slightly slower first stop, still held a gap over four seconds entering the second stint after the first stops.

But O’Ward chipped away and eroded the gap to basically zero just as both cars were due to make their final stop, thanks to O’Ward being quicker on the soft tyre. Palou said he destroyed his fronts, a very unusual thing for one of the series' best tyre whisperers.