McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says he would like to see Pato O’Ward driving other races such as the Daytona 500 as well as his Formula 1 runs.
O’Ward has been confirmed to be making his next FP1 appearance for McLaren at his home race in Mexico City next month, in what will be the first time he’s driven during an F1 weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Brown says the 25-year-old has got the attributes to drive in different categories and suggests there could be a similar crossover to the one that sees Kyle Larson running with McLaren at the Indy 500.
“He’s one of our reserve drivers, we want him to get through the IndyCar season,” Brown told the Dale Jr. Podcast. “He’s tested our Formula 1 car a bunch — he’s a huge talent and it will be massive news in Mexico, which is great.
“Obviously there was the whole fiasco a week or two ago and I’m going to be wearing my ‘Pato who?’ hat this weekend for some fun! But he’s huge. When I go to Mexico — Formula E races there, Formula 1 — I’ve got people shouting at me, ‘Bring Pato! Bring Pato!’ So it will be great to put him out in Free Practice 1 — that will be big news.”
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Brown said he is still hopeful of O’Ward being involved with the NASCAR event in Mexico, although schedule conflicts appear to preclude it happening next year.
“If we can get him in the Xfinity race, that would be cool. I love that stuff. So I’d love to see Pato do that,” he said. “Right now it conflicts — I don’t know what the schedule will look like on ’26 but maybe that. Talking through what else can we do with Hendrick Motorsports? Maybe there’s something… Pato at the Daytona 500 — how cool would that be?”
O’Ward has already shown an interest in running the Mexico City NASCAR race, previously telling RACER’s Marshall Pruett he is eyeing a ride in 2026.
“I would love to,” O’Ward said. “I’m really bummed. I wish we could have done it as soon as the first time, which is next year, but it’s when we go to Gateway and obviously my priorities lie in IndyCar, but I would love to do the next one. That’s the race I would do absolutely. I don’t really have interest doing another race. I want to do that one, and I think it’d be cool.”