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

MEXICO CITY — IndyCar star Pato O’Ward realized his dream Friday when McLaren allowed him to drive Lando Norris’ car in front of fans from his home country during Formula One’s first practice session for the Mexican Grand Prix.

O’Ward didn’t have much freedom to showcase his skills – the team had strict orders to protect Norris’ car during the session. Norris is chasing Max Verstappen for the Drivers’ Championship with five races remaining.

Asked what guidance he received before the session, O’Ward said his instructions were clear.

– Pato, don’t maneuver the car. Pato, if you try to go too fast, I’ll yell at you and we need information. This information is extremely important to what the weekend will look like,” O’Ward said. “So it became clear that I needed to prioritize whatever was needed of me in terms of gathering information and staying consistent. I think they are quite happy with the work I have done. Certainly yes.

O’Ward finished 13th in the speed charts 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 had a serious accident in his Williams early in the session.

Mercedes’ George Russell was fastest, with Verstappen having an engine problem that plagued his session. The Red Bull team principal later said Verstappen’s engine was fine in Friday’s second practice.

O’Ward had hoped he would be allowed to ease up a bit at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez, but he knew McLaren – and Norris – wouldn’t let him take any risks.

Asked by the Associated Press what O’Ward would be able to do with his car, Norris replied bluntly: “I’m testing my car.”

He had little empathy for O’Ward, the McLaren F1 team’s reserve driver but its IndyCar Series star. Originally from Monterrey, O’Ward desperately wanted to race in Mexico as his popularity grew. He was disappointed when NASCAR announced last month it would race in Mexico in 2025, and O’Ward’s voice of displeasure accelerated talks that will likely see IndyCar race here in 2026.

“It’s difficult. This is life. First of all, he got the opportunity, so it’s not just about him,” Norris said. “It plays a bigger role. He won’t be in Formula 1 this year or next. His role is to help us as a team. That’s his job and he gets some cool experiences performing in front of his own crowd.

“We could have taken a different route for him. So I think he should be happy that we chose Mexico,” Norris continued. “I’m glad he went and did it. I think it’s something special for him too. He’ll definitely have laps and he’ll be able to push, but he knows the risks and rewards.”