McLaren Driver Snubs Formula 1, Restricts It to an “Off Season Project”

McLaren signing Oscar Piastri came as a shock to everyone, given an absolutely horrendous blunder on Alpine’s part, despite a great understanding of the driver’s shared reserve driver duties for the two teams. But it would have been more shocking for its test drivers and other reserve drivers, such as Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou, and Colton Herta, among others, who had driven for the team on several occasions in 2021 and 2022.

And while we know a little about the plans of the two aforementioned, Pato O’Ward, who drives for Arrow McLaren in IndyCar, has made his priorities as clear as daylight, snubbing Formula 1. Despite seeking several opportunities in Formula 1, he now shifts his focus entirely to his American team after having been fairly successful in the past, finishing third, fourth, and seventh in the last three seasons.

As quoted by Dutch Motorsport, Pato O’Ward commented on his priorities, saying, “My F1 things are more of an off-season project. In the coming months I will focus on IndyCar and that is where all my attention is. But of course it has been more than fun, it was fantastic”

He added, “I am now also looking forward to getting back into IndyCar, because it always feels a bit strange to go from one car to another. You need a few rounds to get the feeling back. We focus entirely on our IndyCar season, not long after that F1 will undoubtedly come again.”

READ MORE: Despite Red Bull Crushing Childhood Dream, Daniel Ricciardo Refuses to Hold Grudges: “It’s All Good”

The driver, no doubt, carries immense potential given his proven racing record. But an F1 seat doesn’t come easy, and he is no exception to it.

Pato O’Ward compares an F1 car to an IndyCar

Arrow McLaren is a McLaren subsidiary, which Zak Brown called an expansion into the American market after realizing F1’s rapid growth in the country. And this year, joining alongside Pato and Felix Rosenqvist is 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi.

But while welcoming Rossi, O’ Ward focused more on comparing the cars of the two championships, saying, “There you get a car and you have to adjust your driving style accordingly. In IndyCar it is very different, because you can adjust the car and have it almost custom made according to how you want the car to feel or drive.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Like Lewis Hamilton, Daunting NASCAR Option Once Had Daniel Ricciardo Simply Saying No

We’re not sure how his F1 bosses will take the comments, but the 23-year-old certainly appears to know what he wants. And that’s great as well because if a championship in America does come his way, things might get easy on the other side for him.