Pato O’Ward didn’t hold 𓆏back in his assessment of this 𓆉year’s Indianapolis 500, describing the race as “boring” and “crap”.

The 109th edition of the Indy 500 featured 14 different leaders, tying third on the 🐭list with 2013 and 2023 races.

While the race was generally rated positively by viewers, there has been growing discontent about the impact of IndyC🐼ar’s hybrid system on the quality of racing since its introduction in July last year.

McLaren driver O’Ward was unimpressed with the lack of action, especially after a nail-biting finish in 2024 that saw Penske’s J🧜osef Newgard🌌en steal victory from him on the final lap.

"I'm not going to band-aid this. This was the worst Indy 500 I've ever been a part of," O'Ward said. "What a boring race. What a 🍨crap race. Pathetic restarts.

“I feel bad for the sellout of the fan♓s, everybody that came here would've loved to see a finish like last year. But no, they were looking at the last place making switches and the leader just kind of chil✨ling there."

The Indy 500 eventually turned into a two-horse scrap between Alex Palou and Marcus Ericsson, with David Malukas and O’Ward also sitting in t🎀heir wings and hoping for an opportunity to pounce.

With just over a dozen laps remaining, Chip Ganassi star Alex Palou dove up the inside of Marcus Ericsson to seize the lead, leaving th🌟e Andretti driver to rue the decision to leave the dooꦇr open.

O’Ward said 2022 winner Ericsson “choked” in his battle with Palou🐓 and prevented the race from going down the wire.

"Pretty crap race I would say,” he told Fox. “It just kinda sucks that it went down to 💝the switcheroo for the last position of 🐟the race and Ericsson actually kinda choked there and let Palou by and just kind of, he just had to pedal it there.

“I don’t think it’s a ༺finish anybo🔯dy here would have wanted to see.”

Having started from the front row and led briefly, 1🍃68澳洲5最新开奖结果:O’Ward’s race unravelled following a poor restart, which dropped him outside the top 10. 

He worked his way back into contention and was initially classified fourth. However, a 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:post-race penalty handed to Ericsson for a technical infraction 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:promoted O’Ward to the final spo🌊t on the podium in third.

Despite theꦜ result, the 25-year-old voiced his frustration with the standar🏅d of driving in IndyCar.

"I just feel like there was a bunch of non-🙈experience in the front of the restarts and I think some of those restarts were pathetic,” he said.

“Those wer๊e not of the level [of restarts] that we should be seeing ꦍat the Indy 500.”

“You’🦋re playing a coin flip for what lane you were going to choose𝔉,” he added.

“If someone in front of y♏ou was gonna have an issue or gonna touch. Probably the wors♍t Indy 500 I’ve been a part of.

“But we fought hard, we made our way up in that last pit stop to maybe give us a little bit of a chance. I think those lappers really𒀰 helped the leaders. It’s just how the race played out.”