Pato O’Ward finally gets the chance to drive an F1 car in his native Mexico

MEXICO CITY – IndyCar star Pato O’Ward fulfilled a dream Friday when McLaren allowed him to drive Lando Norris’ car in front of his home country’s crowd during the first Formula 1 practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix.

O’Ward wasn’t given much room to demonstrate his skills; he was under strict team orders to protect Norris’ car during the session. Norris is chasing Max Verstappen for the drivers’ championship with five races to go.

When asked what guidance he was given before the session, O’Ward said his orders were clear.

‘Pato, don’t shunt the car. Pato, if you try to go too fast, I’m going to yell at you, and we need information. And this information is extremely important for what the weekend will look like,” said O’Ward. “So it was very clear that I had to prioritize everything that was required of me in terms of gathering information and being consistent. I think they’re quite happy with the work I’ve done. I certainly am.”

O’Ward finished 13th on the speed chart without a scratch on Norris’ car. He was faster than F1 regulars Kevin Magnussen of Haas, Pierre Gasly of Alpine, Lance Stroll of Aston Martin and Alex Albon, who suffered a heavy crash in his Williams early in the session.

Mercedes’ George Russell was fastest and Verstappen had an engine problem that plagued his session. Red Bull team boss later said that Verstappen’s engine was fine for Friday’s second training session.

O’Ward had hoped to open things up a bit at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez, but knew McLaren – and Norris – wouldn’t let him take any chances.

When asked by The Associated Press what O’Ward might do with his car, Norris was blunt: “He’s testing my car.”

He had little empathy for O’Ward, a reserve driver for McLaren’s F1 team but the star driver in the IndyCar Series. O’Ward, who is from Monterrey, is desperate to race in Mexico now that his popularity has grown. He was disappointed when NASCAR announced last month that it would race in Mexico City in 2025, and O’Ward’s vocal displeasure sparked rapid talk that would likely see IndyCar race here in 2026.

“It’s difficult. That’s life. He’s been given the opportunity in the first place, so it’s not just about him,” Norris said. “He’s playing a bigger role. He will not be active in Formula 1 this year and next year. His role helps us as a team. That’s his job and he gets a cool experience performing in front of his home crowd.

“We could have picked a different song for him to do. So I think he should be happy that we chose Mexico,” Norris continued. “I’m happy that he’s going to do that. I think it’s very special for him too. He’ll definitely do laps and be able to push, but he knows the risks and the rewards.”