McLaren IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward will drive in entrance of his dwelling crowd in a Formulation 1 automobile for the primary time at this yr’s Mexican Grand Prix.
O’Ward, who has gained thrice for McLaren in IndyCar this yr, will participate within the first observe session on the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
“I can not wait,” stated O’Ward. “This actually is a dream come true for me, with the ability to soar into an F1 automobile in entrance of my dwelling crowd.”
“The automobile’s been a rocket this yr so [I’ll be] making an attempt to do my half and assist them as a lot as I can for the remainder of the yr. I’ve received Nashville in IndyCar this weekend in order that’s my precedence now however can’t wait to get going.”
O’Ward beforehand criticised IndyCar’s administration for failing so as to add a Mexican spherical to the championship after NASCAR introduced final month it would race on the Mexico Metropolis monitor in 2025. American single-seaters final raced on the Mexican circuit in 2007.
“Not solely did they beat us there, however now that’s not an possibility for IndyCar,” O’Ward informed the Related Press. “You have to perceive that these folks save up their cash to go to those occasions.” He has expressed an curiosity in becoming a member of NASCAR for its Mexican spherical, although it clashes with IndyCar’s race in Gateway.
O’Ward has pushed for McLaren twice earlier than in first observe periods to ensure that the workforce to adjust to the requirement to run an inexperienced driver in every of its vehicles over the course of the season. His two earlier outings got here at Yas Marina in 2022 and 2023. McLaren is but to announce which driver it would select to fulfil its obligation below F1’s guidelines.
With eight rounds of the championship remaining, the Mexican Grand Prix is certainly one of few the place groups are more likely to substitute certainly one of their race drivers for first observe. They like to not run inexperienced drivers at avenue tracks like Baku, Singapore and Las Vegas because of the excessive threat of harm. The rounds at Circuit of the Americas, Interlagos and Losail are dash occasions which characteristic just one observe session, which groups are even much less more likely to hand over to a junior driver. That leaves October’s Mexican Grand Prix and the season finale in Abu Dhabi in December as the popular time to run junior drivers.
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