Herta Dominates Qualifying but O’Ward Claims Victory in Thrilling Indy Toronto Race

TORONTO, 21 July 2025 – Colton Herta once again proved his mastery of Toronto’s Exhibition Place street circuit by securing pole position for the 2025 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, but it was Pato O’Ward who emerged victorious in a dramatic 90-lap showdown on Sunday.

Herta, driving the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda for Andretti Global w/ Curb-Agajanian, continued his dominant qualifying form by clinching the NTT P1 Award for the third time in four years. His 59.8320-second lap was the only one in the Firestone Fast Six to dip below the one-minute mark, securing his second pole of the season and the 16th of his career — moving him ahead of Tony Kanaan and Juan Pablo Montoya on the all-time list.

Despite leading early and briefly reclaiming the lead mid-race, Herta ultimately finished fourth behind a trio of impressive performances. McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, who started 10th, executed a flawless race strategy to take the win. The Mexican driver led the final 29 laps, holding off Rinus VeeKay and Kyffin Simpson to seal a hard-earned victory under caution conditions.

O’Ward’s win marked a stunning recovery from a mid-pack start, showcasing McLaren’s race pace and the driver’s opportunistic approach as chaos unfolded around him. He becomes the first non-polesitter to win at Exhibition Place since 2021, breaking a trend that saw pole winners triumph in three of the past four years.

Rinus VeeKay, starting from ninth, also impressed by finishing second, while Kyffin Simpson climbed from 13th to third — his first career podium in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

Meanwhile, Herta, who led briefly again on laps 59 to 61, couldn’t hold off the late surge from O’Ward. Reflecting on his weekend, Herta praised his team’s efforts: “We have a great car here, it’s plain and simple as you see. I’d like to think we’re better than everyone else, but the cars are really just that good.”

Kyle Kirkwood, Herta’s teammate, qualified sixth after a costly mistake on his final flying lap during qualifying. Despite showing pace throughout practice, a snap of oversteer through Turn 2 forced him to abort the lap that could have placed him alongside Herta on the front row. He recovered to finish sixth in the race.

Championship leader Alex Palou, who started second and led 37 laps, finished 12th after slipping down the order. While the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda looked strong early on, Palou couldn’t maintain the momentum. Nevertheless, he retains a commanding lead in the championship standings with 536 points, 99 ahead of O’Ward.

The race saw five caution periods across 19 laps, including multiple retirements due to contact. Notably, former Toronto winners Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin were both involved in early incidents and failed to finish.

Scott Dixon, a four-time winner at this venue, crossed the line in 10th, while last year’s race winner Christian Lundgaard finished 13th.

The Toronto event marked the final street race of the season, with the calendar now moving to two road courses at Laguna Seca and Portland, followed by oval rounds at The Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway.

Top 10 Finishers – 2025 Indy Toronto:

1. Pato O’Ward (Chevrolet)
2. Rinus VeeKay (Honda)
3. Kyffin Simpson (Honda)
4. Colton Herta (Honda)
5. Marcus Ericsson (Honda)
6. Kyle Kirkwood (Honda)
7. Graham Rahal (Honda)
8. Callum Ilott (Chevrolet)
9. David Malukas (Chevrolet)
10. Scott Dixon (Honda)

Championship Standings (Top 5):

1. Alex Palou – 536
2. Pato O’Ward – 437
3. Kyle Kirkwood – 363
4. Scott Dixon – 362
5. Christian Lundgaard – 317

As the season heads into its final stretch, Palou remains the title favourite, but O’Ward’s victory in Toronto signals that the battle is far from over.