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<\/a><\/p>\nO\u2019Ward has long harboured F1 ambitions and was put on the path towards F1 with Red Bull initially in 2019 amid its driver pool shortage.<\/p>\n
That relationship was short-lived before being picked up by McLaren to join its IndyCar team in 2020.<\/p>\n
F1 opportunities with McLaren have come by way of practice cameos at Mexico City and Abu Dhabi as well as post-season F1 testing.<\/p>\n
McLaren has long dangled the F1 carrot, but a start has never eventuated.<\/p>\n
With his focus firmly on winning the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500, the 27-year-old said he no longer wants to be a part of the Formula 1 testing program.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Conor Daly\u2019s Speed Street podcast, O\u2019Ward said the demands of F1 testing on his training schedule were a key consideration.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t had an off-season in the last five years. I want to enjoy my life outside of racing, because it does consume me and it has consumed me the last five years,\u201d O\u2019Ward said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m grateful for the experiences and all the things I\u2019ve been able to learn in the world of Formula 1 and obviously driving those race cars.<\/p>\n
\u201cEspecially the last few years have been just an amazing experience to feel what they\u2019re capable of \u2013 but I really think I\u2019m in a different point in my life now and I really don\u2019t care anymore.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s really nothing in me that is aching to keep on a reserve in Formula 1 because I\u2019m in a great place in IndyCar. I love the series. That\u2019s where I want to be.<\/p>\n
\u201cLooking at what the race cars are currently, I\u2019m not really excited to drive one so I\u2019ve politely asked to be fired from all my services in Formula 1.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Pato](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Pato-O_Ward-Honda-Indy-200-at-Mid-Ohio-By_-Chris-Owens_Large-Image-Without-Watermark_m159896.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Pato O\u2019Ward celebrates winning the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. Image: Chris Owens<\/p>\n
O\u2019Ward said McLaren commitments dictated his off-season and precluded him from training and eating well, which ultimately meant his F1 ambition waned.<\/p>\n
His decision means FIA Formula 2 Championship winner Leonardo Fornaroli is the sole McLaren reserve.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t tell you the amount of times that people are like \u2018When [are you going to be] in Formula 1?\u2019 and obviously that\u2019s been a dream of mine ever since I was a kid,\u201d O\u2019Ward explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso being around that world for many years and inside of it \u2013 I know I wasn\u2019t a full-time racing driver there, but I have enough of a whiff of what that world is like.<\/p>\n
\u201cI genuinely don\u2019t think that is for me. It\u2019s not a place where I can say I\u2019ve enjoyed more than IndyCar. It\u2019s not really somewhere where at this point in time I don\u2019t see my future there.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndyCar is the best place for motor racing. Many others can have a different opinion, but for me that\u2019s where I\u2019m happy and I don\u2019t need to be more famous, I don\u2019t need more money, I\u2019m already in a position that I never thought I was ever going to be when I was younger.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Pato](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Pato-O_Ward-Honda-Indy-200-at-Mid-Ohio-By_-Matt-Fraver_Large-Image-Without-Watermark_m160068.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Pato O\u2019Ward on track during the IndyCar Series Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. Image: Matt Fraver<\/p>\n
O\u2019Ward will go into the 2027 season with two new teammates.<\/p>\n
Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel have been let go in favour of Indianapolis 500 winners Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust the idea of being able to learn from Scott, I\u2019m so excited,\u201d O\u2019Ward said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs soon as they told me, Zak (Brown) and Tony (Kanaan), my first feeling was \u2018I can\u2019t believe I\u2019m going to be able to learn from somebody like that\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cScott is the GOAT. Scott is the guy. He has so much experience with also coming from a pretty damn good team.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way that he is and the way that he can also help bring everything together, that\u2019s what I\u2019m super excited for.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust being able to work with somebody of his calibre, of his level, somebody with his knowledge and also somebody that inside and outside of the car is great company to have around.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t wait to start working with him.\u201d<\/p>\n
It will be a reunion of sorts between O\u2019Ward and Rosenqvist. They were teammates from 2021 to 2023 but have remained close friends since.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs for Felix, I\u2019ve worked with him before. He was a great teammate and he\u2019s a great friend,\u201d O\u2019Ward said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s probably the guy I see the most outside of the paddock. He is also a great addition.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter winning the Indy 500, he\u2019s got more experience than when he left.\u201d<\/p>\n
O\u2019Ward will continue his IndyCar campaign with McLaren at Nashville on July 20.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"McLaren reserve and test driver Pato O’Ward during post-season testing at Abu Dhabi. O\u2019Ward has long harboured F1…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":517980,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[111,139,69,139416,213],"class_list":["post-517979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-pato-oward","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517979","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=517979"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517979\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/517980"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=517979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=517979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=517979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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