IndyCar star Pato O'Ward has been the McLaren F1 team's test driver for a couple of seasons. The Mexican will be going out in front of his home crowd in the upcoming Mexican GP FP1 session, filling in for Lando Norris in the MCL39. The Arrow McLaren recently came out and detailed the political hurdle that prevented the F1 move while staying loyal to IndyCar.
Pato O'Ward won the 2018 Indy Lights and was promoted to the IndyCar series for the 2019 season as a part-time driver. However, the Mexican also participated in a few F2 races during the 2019 season, as he ‘flirted’ with the idea of making it to F1.
However, a move to F2 never materialized, and the Mexican driver joined Arrow McLaren as a full-time IndyCar driver for the 2020 season. O'Ward has since then raced with the Papaya team, and even participated in multiple development tests, the 2021 young driver test in Abu Dhabi, and filled in for the FP1 session at the 2022 Abu Dhabi GP.
After finishing P4 in the 2023 IndyCar season, O'Ward got enough points for a superlicence and was then announced as the reserve driver for McLaren's F1 team. Pato O'Ward the FP1 session at last year's Mexican GP, and will be substituting in for Lando Norris at this year's race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

According to mediotiempo.com, Pato O'Ward suggested that he's content with IndyCar in case he doesn't get his shot in F1, but would take up the F1 challenge if an opportunity presents itself. Speaking about the hurdle preventing him from making F1, O'Ward said,
“Formula 1 has been flirting with me for years, since 2019, it's been seven years now. In 2019, I already had everything lined up to move up, and then things got political, and what can you do? You can just do what you've done and try to improve. Of course, I'm not going to say no. You say, well, let's see what happens here, but it's a real challenge to take a seat away from someone who's doing a good job.”
“More than happy in IndyCar”: Pato O'Ward details his commitment to the American open wheel racing series
Pato O'Ward moved up the IndyCar ladder series racing into the Pro Mazda Championship (now USF Pro 2000), then Indy Lights (now Indy NXT), and eventually made it to IndyCar. The Mexican driver has established himself as a top driver in IndyCar, and, arguably, the lead driver at Arrow McLaren.
O'Ward challenged Alex Palou for the 2025 IndyCar title. Unlike Colton Herta, who made the move away from IndyCar to fulfill his F1 dream, the Arrow McLaren driver is committed to the American open-wheel racing series.
“If I don't get my chance in Formula 1, I'm more than happy in IndyCar. That's why I've been able to let go of the pressure and let go of the non-dream, but rather the hope of getting to Formula 1, because I'm so comfortable there (in IndyCar). I'm happy where I am; I'm not looking to change.” said Pato O'Ward
The Mexican faced a reliability issue at the Grand Prix of Portland from the lead of the race, which presented Alex Palou with the title; otherwise, the championship fight would've possibly dragged on for another race.
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