McLaren’s reserve driver, Pato O’Ward, will make his return to the wheel of the MCL38 during FP1 at the Mexico City Grand Prix, much to the delight of his home crowd.
The Mexican racer, who juggles his reserve role with driving for Arrow McLaren in IndyCar, is set for this opportunity as part of F1’s requirement for teams to field a young driver in two FP1 sessions each season.
Promoted to McLaren’s reserve driver pool for the 2024 season, O’Ward has previous F1 experience from various development tests with the team’s 2021 car. The 25-year-old has also participated in the 2021 young driver test in Abu Dhabi and took part in FP1 during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekends in 2022 and 2023.
“I have some exciting news to share,” O’Ward announced in a video on McLaren’s social media. “I’ll be joining McLaren at the Mexican Grand Prix, and this time, I’ll be taking the wheel for FP1.”
Did someone say homecoming? 🪅
A dream come true for @PatricioOWard who will drive the MCL38 in front of his home crowd during FP1 at the Mexico City GP! 🇲🇽 @ArrowMcLaren pic.twitter.com/VDYvGP0Fd6
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) September 11, 2024
