Pato O'Ward reveals how his Mexican roots influenced his Indy 500 helmet design

Arrow McLaren driver Pato O'Ward unveiled an Indy 500 tribute custom helmet design during Fast Friday, ahead of the qualifying weekend. He detailed that the design inspiration was drawn from his Mexican roots.

The Indianapolis 500, widely recognized as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, was first held in 1911 and stands as one of motorsport’s most historic and prestigious events. As part of the triple crown of Motorsport, alongside the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indy 500 carries a deep legacy that teams and drivers continue to honor through commemorative liveries and special helmet design tributes. O'Ward joined the likes of Team Penske’s renowned “Yellow Submarine” paint scheme and Conor Daly’s recent homage to three-time winner Wilbur Shaw.

Pato O'Ward unveiled his long-awaited helmet, which has several notable features. The first standout was his sponsor, Kit-Kat's logo. Pointing to the eyes at the top of the helmet, he said that was his favorite part. However, he quickly tilted it to expose the headgear's right side, which drew inspiration from his roots (via X handle of IndyCaronFox).

"This monster here is an Aztec monster from Mexico. Because I am Mexican, I wanted to do something with my heritage,"

After showcasing his helmet, he went ahead to explain the significance of the monster.

"It had 18 different mouths, and it apparently devoured everything in its path. But most importantly, it was sacrificed to create heaven and Earth," he detailed. "I feel like sometimes you need to sacrifice to reach greatness, and I feel like that is what I have been trying to do here at Indy 500," he added

Pato O'Ward also promised that if he wins the prestigious race, he will wear the eyes at the top of his helmet for the rest of his career.

Customs withheld Pato O'Ward's Indy 500 helmet

TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY IndyCar Media Day - Source: Getty

Customs withheld Pato O'Ward's specially designed helmet over confusion regarding the payment of duties. However, it was finally released from customs.

O'Ward, who was positive that there had been a mix-up and was even willing to pay twice to receive the helmet, said (via ESPN):

"I've been on the phone 48 minutes and they won't send me a link to pay the customs."

Initially, he believed the delivery delay was due to the package requiring a signature, but he maintained that people were present at his home ready to receive the helmet.

"I kept telling the driver to ring the bell! There's people there!" he added. "But then they said it is a customs fee and they won't deliver it until it's been paid."

Rain delay at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during Tuesday Practice afforded Pato O’Ward additional time to address the issue with the customs. His helmet was designed and shipped from Germany for the Indianapolis 500.