McLaren hands Mexican GP FP1 outing to O’Ward

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McLaren F1 reserve Pato O'Ward will enjoy an outing with team papaya at next month’s Mexican Grand Prix where the IndyCar charger will take part in Friday’s opening practice.

O’Ward – a three-time winner with Arrow McLaren in the NTT IndyCar Series – took to social media on Wednesday to confirm his participation in FP1 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City.

It won’t be the 25-year-old’s first free practice in F1 with McLaren, having enjoyed two previous outings with the team in Abu Dhabi in 2022 and in 2023.

O’Ward has also taken part in several private F1 test sessions with McLaren.

“I cannot wait, this really is a dream come true for me, to be able to jump into an F1 car in-front of my home crowd,” commented O’Ward.

“I can’t thank Andrea [Stella, Team Principal], Zak [Brown, CEO], the whole team enough for this amazing opportunity.”

Read also: Larson gets second shot at Indy 500/Charlotte grueling double

O’Ward’s stint in the car comes at a pivotal moment for McLaren, as the team has been enjoying strong performance this season, a fact acknowledged by the Woking-based outfit’s reserve driver.

“The car’s been a rocket this year so trying to do my part and help them as much as I can for the rest of the year,” he said.

Following his participation next weekend in IndyCar’s championship finale – the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix in Nashville – O’Ward will fly to Europe to "start all of [his] Formula 1 duties" in preparation for his appearance at the Mexican Grand Prix.

O’Ward, who joined Arrow McLaren in 2020, is currently sixth in IndyCar’s standings, having conquered his third win in the series just last month in Milwaukee.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.