Ad Austin, and not only that, we will be able to see many young promises in action, due to the obligation for each team to have at least two Free Practice sessions held by those who have not yet embarked on a career in Formula 1. The so-called "roockie". Except for Antonio Giovinazzi who, despite not being a roockie, let alone a rider in the official line up, will occupy one of the Haas seats in FP1 in America, after Monza. The teams that have decided to entrust their cars to unofficial drivers are therefore Ferrari, Haas e Alfa Romeo. To these is added the McLaren which has chosen Austin and Abu Dhabi to fulfill its obligations.
McLaren relies on Palou and O'Ward
It will be an all "Indy" formation that will be fielded by McLaren in the coming weekends. In fact, the team has decided to draw from its prestigious "American" department of IndyCar, choosing Alex Palou, 2021 champion, as replacement for Ricciardo in FP1 in Austin and Pato O'Ward who will take the place of Lando Norris in Abu Dhabi. The two had already had the opportunity to carry out private tests, most recently with the MCL35M in Austria, close to the Japanese GP. The comparison between Indy and Formula 1 was used precisely to verify the reactions to driving and for future considerations on the two drivers. Although for next year the lineup at McLaren is already complete with Lando Norris and the new entry from the Alpine nursery, Oscar Piastri.
The words of the team
“We are delighted to offer Alex and Pato the opportunity to take part in the practice sessions with McLaren – commented team principal Andreas Seidl. "Thanks to his successes in IndyCar it will be useful for the team to have Alex's feedback, and at the same time one more occasion to evaluate his skills. Alex and Pato have impressed with their recent testing completed in Barcelona and Austria and we are thrilled to offer them the chance to take to the track in the MCL36. It's a great opportunity to showcase your skills on the global stage of Formula 1. The goal will be to help the team prepare for the race weekend and it won't be a test judged on the basis of the times they get."
And the pilots
America has an increasing interest in F1 and vice versa, a love that has blossomed in recent years. Bringing a driver from one of the most popular categories in the States to an F1 single-seater is a bit of a sublimation of F1's roots in the territory. “So excited to make my F1 weekend debut – Alex Palou said. “It's great to be driving in the US in front of fans who may have seen me racing in INDYCAR. After driving the 2021 McLaren MCL35 in a few tests, I can't wait to put the MCL36 through its paces. I look forward to helping the team prepare for the 2022 United States Grand Prix."
“I can't wait to get on track in Abu Dhabi. I think I've grown as a driver and I really enjoyed the tests we had with last year's car. I think it will be a great experience to have the chance to be on track in a Formula 1 weekend with the MCL36”. Pato O'Ward said instead that he had already taken part in the tests at Yas Marina in 2021.
Source statements: Motorsport.com
