FORT WORTH, Texas – It was supposed to be a media availability for the most recent IndyCar winner at Texas Motor Speedway – Pato O’Ward. Instead, the Arrow McLaren SP driver was grilled about his future, including his growing interest in Formula 1.
O’Ward, who won the second race of a double-header at the 1.5-mile oval in May 2021, indicated earlier this week he is keeping his options open on whether he returns to his current team.
“I think we’re all going to have to wait and see what that answer is, to be honest with you,” O’Ward said. “I don’t want to lie to you. I don’t want to lie to everybody and say, ‘No, no, no,’ or, ‘Yes, yes, yes.’ We’ll see how things shape out. I think it’s too early in the season to truly see what’s happening.
“Honestly, as of right now, I’m fully focused into delivering a season that I know I’m capable of with the team that is around me. I’m sure things will start taking their place.
“As of right now, I have a long championship ahead of me. I’m focused into truly delivering something that I want to be proud of, that I want the team to be proud of. Honestly, I love the group of people that I get to work with, the engineers, the mechanics. Honestly, it’s hard to say that I’ve met a group that’s more hard working than them. In the off-season they’ve tirelessly tried to find what we have been missing, right? Last year we had a great oval package. I’m looking forward to try to capitalize on that, having a great weekend this week.
“To be fairly honest with you, I’m fully focused on what I’m doing right now, which is driving and trying to do the best season that I can. My group of people is just scouting out what my future is going to look like. Yeah, that’s pretty much as much as I’ve got right now for you.”
Arrow McLaren SP President Taylor Kiel called it a “blip on the radar.” But the questions persisted and with each answer, O’Ward revealed the Formula One rumors are much more than a passing interest.
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When his racing friend and friendly rival Colton Herta was signed to an F-1 developmental deal with McLaren, O’Ward said he knew that a couple of weeks ago. But it may have led the driver from Monterrey, Mexico to start analyzing his other options.
“I think anything could be a possibility,” O’Ward said. “As of now, I’m not aware that I’m part of that.
“I am currently under contract with McLaren. Just like anything, there are scenarios that I could stay where I’m at or there could be scenarios where I could be in a different place.”
Nate Ryan of NBC Sports then asked O’Ward if he was allowed to solicit other offers and if McLaren could match it?
O’Ward paused before saying, “Oh, man. You’re good.
“Bingo.”
At 22, O’Ward is the prime age to make a jump to Formula One. The same can be said with 21-year-old Herta. If both drivers wait too long, this opportunity could fade.
Just like anything, you need to look at what the best is,” O’Ward explained. “You look into a place. The next decisions I take in my career are one of the most important. I need to make sure that I’m doing what’s best for me and what makes me feel happiest. I think that’s just as honest as I can be with it.
“It’s not like I want to be here. No, I want to be here. Just like anybody in any sport, right, you need to look at where is this going to take me, where do I want to be, and just start putting your puzzle together, start checking off the objectives of I want to do this, check, I want to do this, check, I succeeded in this, check, we haven’t done this, let’s work on that.
“Just like any other athlete in motorsports or in any other sport, right, you need to be very careful, and you need to be very aware of what’s going on and make the best decisions that will put you into what he wants to achieve.
“I think it’s not a secret, right? This passion that I have for motorsports, it started with Formula 1. Of course, I’d be interested to be in Formula 1. But if the right opportunity arises and if I was able to extract the extra things that Formula 1 offers you as a professional, as an individual.
“I love IndyCar. I love IndyCar racing. I think the series is on a constant rise. I think it’s going to keep getting bigger and bigger. My job right now is to try and help that in getting it bigger, specifically in the Latin market. I think we’ve done a good job so far, but I think it can still grow a lot.
“What I think people need to understand is, yes, I get it, Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsports. In terms of competition there is nothing harder than IndyCar because everything is closer to each other. We’ll see how the F-1 unravels with the new regulation this year, all that stuff.”
While O’Ward was getting worked over like it was an interrogation briefing, Kiel began to get frustrated. As president at Arrow McLaren SP, he guides an IndyCar operation that features two promising drivers and championships contenders in O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist of Sweden.
“We’ve already addressed any of the rumors or otherwise with the team internally,” Kiel said. “I’ve got full confidence that everybody is focused and ready to perform at Texas. That’s really what’s important to me, that we’re ready to go. Everybody is here to win; everybody is here to do the job.
“Certainly, internally we’re in a good place. I think that’s really all that matters to me. The external noise, everything that surrounds situations like this, it is what it is, it’s part of the sport. It’s on us to make sure we have our house in order, when news needs to come out, it comes out from us, and we go from there.”
Kiel believes it’s too early in the season to get distracted by this issue.
“For me, it’s an absolute no-brainer,” he said. “The one thing we all have to consider here, we’re beating this question to death no doubt, but Pato is a young kid that’s extremely talented. He’s done a fantastic job for us. The team has done a fantastic job for him, right?
“The fact he’s been able to put himself in a position to compete for championships is a function of Pato’s talent but also a function of the team, right? We’re growing together. We are ticking these boxes together. We won on ovals, street circuits. We will win on road courses. We will compete and fight for championships together.
“In my opinion, there’s nobody I’d rather have driving one of our race cars than Pato O’Ward. I think he’s an absolute world class talent. We’ve invested a lot in each other.”
Kiel, though, does understand why there is so much interest in his driver pursuing a Formula One ride.
“Pato is young,” Kiel said. “He’s got a lot of interest right now, as you would imagine. I think everyone in the paddock would be silly if they’re not trying to at least have the conversation. I get it. It’s part of the business. It’s a lot of pressure for him. It’s a lot of pressure for us. It’s a lot of pressure for our team.
“All we can do right now is focus on each other, internalize everything, make sure we keep the noise to a minimum, work through our business and make sure we’re on solid foundations putting our foot forward. I have no doubt together we can be unbeatable, and we’ll get there. It’s a journey, right?
“For him, it’s kudos to him being as young as he is to be mature enough to handle these conversations and do it in the right way, handle the pressure of it all, while still being able to be laser focused and in a position to win races week in, week out.
“This isn’t the best thing that’s ever happened to us as an organization, no doubt. Ultimately it will strengthen us and bring us together. As a team we’re galvanized, strong, focused.
“I’m ready to get on with it, go to Texas and show everybody what we can do.”