McLaren Gives IndyCar Driver F1 Seat For Mexican GP FP1 In Front Of Home Crowd

Chris Ladd | Sep 12, 2024

May 29, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; IndyCar Series driver Pato O Ward prior to the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Guy Rhodes-Imagn Images / Guy Rhodes-Imagn Images

Pato O’Ward, McLaren's reserve driver and full-time IndyCar competitor with Arrow McLaren, is set to make another Formula 1 appearance in FP1 at the Mexico City Grand Prix, his home race. The 25-year-old Mexican driver has previously taken part in FP1 sessions for McLaren, with two appearances at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but this will mark his first time driving in an official F1 session in front of a home crowd.

In a report by Racer, O’Ward’s participation will take place on October 25, following the conclusion of the 2024 IndyCar season at Nashville Superspeedway. As a highly regarded talent in motorsports, O'Ward has been steadily gaining more involvement with McLaren's F1 team. His performance at his home Grand Prix will be closely watched, not only by his fans in Mexico but also by those within the McLaren organization, as he continues to build experience and demonstrate his potential in Formula 1 machinery.

This FP1 outing is another step in O'Ward's career, offering a special opportunity for him to shine in front of his home fans and potentially stake his claim for further opportunities in Formula 1.

“I’ve got some pretty exciting news to tell you all today,” O’Ward posted in a social media video. “I will be joining McLaren Formula 1 at the Mexican Grand Prix but this time around I will be jumping in the car for FP1.

“I cannot wait, this really is a dream come true for me – being able to jump into an F1 car in front of my home crowd. I can’t thank Andrea [Stella], Zak [Brown], the whole team, enough for this amazing opportunity.

“The car’s been a rocket this year so I’ll be trying to do my part and help them as much as I can for the rest of the year. I’ve got Nashville this weekend in IndyCar, so that’s the priority now, but can’t wait to get going and I’m actually flying over to Europe at the end of this week to start all my Formula 1 duties. I can’t wait.”

O’Ward is currently sixth in the IndyCar standings heading into the final race weekend, and shares reserve duties for McLaren with Ryo Hirakawa after securing his FIA Super License last year. As well as his previous two FP1 outings, the Mexican has completed young driver test running and testing of a previous car (TPC) for McLaren in the past.