Arrow McLaren SP announces new management structure for 2023 after Taylor Kiel's exit
With the exit of team president Taylor Kiel shortly after the end of the 2022 IndyCar season, Arrow McLaren SP announced its new management structure for 2023 on Tuesday. Gavin Ward, who joined the team in July as the McLaren-owned team's director of trackside engineering, will assume the role of racing director, with new hire Brian Barnhart sliding in as AMSP's general manager.
Ward previously spent more than 12 years in Formula 1 with Red Bull before joining Team Penske for the 2018 season as the race engineer for then newly-crowned IndyCar champ Josef Newgarden. After four seasons there, including the 2019 title and consecutive runner-up finishes in 2020 and 2021, the Canadian jumped to AMSP this past offseason for a more over-arching role (after a lengthy non-compete clause from his Penske contract expired).
In his new role, Ward will lead AMSP's technical performance team that includes Max Neyron (director of operations), Nick Snyder (director of performance) and Billy Vincent (director or competition).
"I'm honored to step into this role and work alongside the other leaders to continue elevating Arrow McLaren SP and our competitiveness on the track," Ward said in a release. "Max, Nick, Billy and I have worked really well together this past season, so we already have established an impressive baseline that will lead to a smooth start for 2023."
Though Barnhart's duties as AMSP's new general manager weren't made immediately clear, it's seems fair to assume the decades-long IndyCar veteran will take over many of the responsibilities left by Kiel, who after several years as the team's managing director of competition, was promoted to team president in January 2021. Kiel announced his decision to leave the team Sept. 20 to "(spend) time with my own growing family and (pursue) whatever’s next."
Leadership change at AMSP:Taylor Kiel leaves team after 15 years
Brian Barnhart joins AMSP:Longtime IndyCar official follows Rossi to new team
In his more than three decades working in IndyCar, Barnhart most recently served as Alexander Rossi's strategist at Andretti Autosport -- a role which he'll continue as the Indy 500 winner joins AMSP on a multi-year deal. Barnhart also previously worked as team president of Harding Racing, served on various team crews with Patrick Racing, Galles Racing and Team Penske, and was the IMS director of race operations. In a lengthy stint with the series from 1997-2017, Barnhart served as race director, chief steward, series president, president of operations and strategy, and vice president of competition.
"(Arrow McLaren SP) has made incredible strides in challenging the top teams for the championship over the last two seasons," Barnhart said in a release. "AMSP is full of talent, from their drivers to the mechanics and every position in between, and I'm honored to join them."
As part of the shuffle and AMSP's expansion to three full-time cars in 2023, the team also announced a bit of a shakeup in its driver-car lineup. After welcoming him to the team in June without a confirmed car number, AMSP unveiled Tuesday that Rossi will assume the No. 7 Chevy that had been Rosenqvist's since the Swede teamed up with Pato O'Ward for the start of the 2021 season. The ex-Andretti driver will have Barnhart on his radio to bring one element of continuity.
O'Ward will maintain the No. 5 Chevy, though AMSP has not yet selected someone to call strategy for him -- a job Kiel had undertaken for the Mexican driver's three seasons with the team. Rosenqvist will keep his strategist in Vincent, but will shift to the No. 6 -- a car AMSP hasn't run full-time since the end of the 2018 season.
Sam Schmidt, who founded the team and still holds a minority stake with Ric Peterson after McLaren Racing took 75% ownership a year ago, had previously said AMSP would hold the No. 6 open for Robert Wickens, who had put together a stellar rookie campaign in 2018 before a crash at Pocono left him with a serious spinal cord injury and his racing career in jeopardy. Wickens has since joined AMSP in an advisory role as he's worked his way back to racing in IMSA with hand controls while he continues his rehab that has seen him regain significant strength and use of his legs.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IndyCar: Arrow McLaren SP announces management changes for 2023