Pato O’Ward has asked McLaren to relieve him of all F1 duties, drawing a line under years of reserve driver commitments as he turns his full attention to IndyCar.
The Mexican has been part of the McLaren family since 2020, when he joined Arrow McLaren SP for his first full-time IndyCar campaign.
Having enjoyed early success with the team, it caught the eye of McLaren CEO Zak Brown, who rewarded O’Ward with a F1 test in the MCL35M at the 2021 Abu Dhabi young driver test.
From there, O’Ward was integrated into McLaren’s F1 reserve driver programme, completing private tests at circuits and taking part in FP1 sessions, including in his native Mexico.
But any ambition to continue towards a full-time F1 seat has now evaporated, as following his confirmation in McLaren’s 2027 IndyCar line-up alongside Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist, O’Ward has made it clear he no longer wants any involvement in F1.
“I’m grateful for the experiences and all the I’ve been able to learn in the world of F1,” O’Ward told the Speed Street podcast.
“And obviously, driving those cars, especially the last few years, I’ve had an amazing experience just to what they are capable of.
“But I think I’m in a different point in my life now, and I don’t really care anymore.
“There is nothing in me that is aching me to continue as a reserve in F1. I’m in a great place in IndyCar. I love the series. That’s where I want to be.”
O’Ward has finished in the top seven in the drivers’ standings every year since joining McLaren’s IndyCar setup and has come agonisgly close to winning the Indianapolis 500 with the team, with five top six finishes in the last seven years – including two runner-up positions.
While O’Ward’s duties were split with F1, his Abu Dhabi FP1 appearance last year now looks set to be his final outing in an F1 car.
“I’m not excited to drive one, so I have politely asked to be fired from all my services in F1,” he said. I want to focus on my priorities.
“A lot of the times I don’t really get to dictate my schedule at all.
“In the last four or five years, I haven’t been able to do really any of that, so.
“I want to be able to train more, I want to be able to eat better, and just prepare for 2027 which is going to come fast.”
