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ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — IndyCar star Pato O’Ward wants to stake a claim for a future Formula One shot when he tests for McLaren in Abu Dhabi today.
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Tuesday will see all 10 teams conduct their final on-track outings of the year at the Yas Marina Circuit, using one car for a young driver and one for tire development.
For O’Ward, 24, it is the latest opportunity to sample F1 machinery through his relationship with McLaren. On top of racing for its IndyCar team for the past four seasons, winning four races, and being a regular championship contender, he dreams of one day switching to F1.
“The test is going to be huge for the team to see that I’m ready for it,” O’Ward told The Athletic.
O’Ward made his name in IndyCar. But being successful in an F1 car is another matter. The more physical, faster machinery – in 2019, the F1 pole time at the Circuit of The Americas was 14 seconds quicker than IndyCar’s – poses a far more significant challenge. It also brings a more incredible thrill to the cockpit.
“These things, they’re rockets, they’re such capable cars,” O’Ward said. “I’m pumped to get back into it on Tuesday and really wring its neck, and really see what it’s capable of, do proper performance runs, long race runs, and really see what it’s all about.”
It was not something O’Ward could do when he took part in opening practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last Friday, fulfilling McLaren’s young driver requirement. O’Ward had a prescribed program from McLaren to help gather data for the rest of the weekend before handing the car back over to Lando Norris for FP2.
He also had to take care of the car and avoid any mistakes that might cause a crash at a time when parts were limited, and mechanics were tired after a long season. But on Tuesday, he can push the MCL60 to the limit. It’s what O’Ward does best.
“I’ve never been known to have a middle mode,” he said. “I’ve either been full send or nothing. My approach in FP1 was definitely different to what my normality is. But the test will be back to what I know best.”
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O’Ward’s “full send” approach made him a star within McLaren’s IndyCar setup. He finished second in last year’s Indianapolis 500 and spun out while fighting for the victory with eight laps to go this year, having led more laps than any other driver. “I’ve come close like three times already,” O’Ward said. “I’m ready.”
But even the buzz of driving an Indy car at 230 mph does not compare to what O’Ward gets when he drives an F1 car, particularly the forces felt within the cockpit.
“The racing in an oval is fricking hairy,” O’Ward said. “That is gnarly, gnarly stuff. But in terms of just how much you get on your body, how much you feel against your legs and your neck, and how the car turns and attacks, F1 is on its own planet.”
O’Ward’s F1 dream took a small step toward becoming reality last weekend when McLaren announced he would join its pool of reserve drivers for 2024. If Norris or Oscar Piastri cannot race, McLaren could turn to O’Ward.
But a full-time F1 opportunity at McLaren looks unlikely for O’Ward in the near future. Norris and Piastri’s contracts run to the end of 2025 and 2026, respectively, and the team is eager to lock Norris down for longer. Zak Brown, McLaren’s CEO, believes they form the best lineup in F1.
Still, O’Ward is relaxed about his prospects. “I know I’m good enough to be here and to be competitive,” he said. “To be what I am in IndyCar, I know I can be that here in F1.
“All I can do is just make sure that at these tests, I take advantage of them for when (a chance) does come about and be as experienced in the F1 world as possible.
“But I know I’d be able to come here and stay here, not just come here and get spat out.”
(Lead image: Qian Jun/MB Media/Getty Images)