On the occasion of the FP1 of the Mexican Grand Prix scheduled for the end of October McLaren to give Pato O'Ward, Mexican driver competing in IndyCar, the opportunity to drive the MCL38. O'Ward will replace one of the two Papaya drivers, who are engaged in an intense world championship battle, gathering valuable data. This will be the third official appearance in Formula 1 for O'Ward, who has already had the opportunity to take part in FP1 in Abu Dhabi in 2022 and 2023. However, The Mexico City event will be particularly special for the driver, as he will be racing in front of his home crowd.
McLaren eyes Pato O'Ward for Mexican GP FP1
McLaren reserve driver and IndyCar star Pato O'Ward will take to the wheel of the MCL1 in FP38 at the Mexican GP, a special experience for him. O'Ward was thrilled to be given the opportunity, calling it a “dream come true,” and said: “I can't wait to drive an F1 in front of my home fans.” He also thanked Andrea Stella and the team for their trust and underlined the importance of collecting useful data for the team during this important phase of the season.
“I can’t thank Andrea [Stella], Zak [Brown] and the whole team enough for this amazing opportunity. The car has been a rocket this year, so I'll try to do my part and help them as much as I can for the rest of the year. This weekend I have Nashville in IndyCar, so that’s the priority, but I’m really looking forward to getting started and then at the end of this week I’ll be flying to Europe to start all my Formula 1 commitments. I’m really looking forward to it.”
A season finale more tense than ever
After having ended up at the center of attention with the outbreak of the issue related to the "Papaya Rules” McLaren is looking for some peace and quiet to face the last 8 races of the season. The team led by Andrea Stella arrives in Baku as a big favorite, but to win this time they will have to be perfect and think about how to maximize every result. Despite the progress on the technical front, McLaren must in fact manage an internal challenge between its two drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Both have shown a high level of competitiveness, fueling debates on the management of leadership within the team.
McLaren, led by Andrea Stella, therefore faces the final races of the season with the aim of continuing its climb towards the top of the constructors' standings. The team is well aware that to maintain this competitiveness it will be necessary to balance the internal management between the two drivers and make the most of the upcoming technical updates.
