O'Ward: "Pato, don’t shunt the car" were my orders from Norris

O’Ward wasn’t given much leeway to showcase his skills as he was under strict team orders to protect Norris’ car in the session. Norris is chasing Max Verstappen for the driver championship with five races remaining.

Asked what directives he was given before the session, O’Ward said his orders were clear: “Pato, don’t shunt the car. Pato, if you try to go too fast, I am going to scream at you, and we need information. And this information is extremely important to what the weekend is going to look like.

"So it was very clear that I had to prioritise everything that was needed of me in terms of gathering information and being consistent. I think they are pretty happy with the job that I did. I certainly am.”

O’Ward ended up 13th on the time sheets without a scratch on Norris’ car. He was quicker than F1 regulars Kevin Magnussen of Haas, Pierre Gasly of Alpine, Lance Stroll of Aston Martin, and Alex Albon, who had a heavy crash in his Williams early in the session.

After the session, O'Ward summed up in the McLaren team's Friday report from Mexico City: "A fabulous day today really, I very much enjoyed my FP1 outing in Mexico. The crowd was unbelievable, and I’m super happy that I was able to extract everything from the programme that the team had planned."

O'Ward continued: "It was great to be able to support Lando, Oscar and the team in learning and set-up, and contribute in a positive way to the weekend. I can’t wait to see what the team can do Saturday and in the race on Sunday.”

O’Ward had hoped to be allowed to open it up a bit at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez but knew McLaren - and Norris - would not allow him to take any risks.

When asked by The Associated Press what O’Ward would be allowed to do with his car, 2024 F1 World Championship title contender Norris was blunt: “He’s testing my car.”

O’Ward, who is from Monterrey, has been desperate to race in Mexico now that his popularity has grown. He was disappointed when NASCAR last month announced it would race in Mexico City in 2025, and O’Ward’s vocal displeasure fast-tracked talks that will likely have IndyCar racing here in 2026.

Responding, Norris said: “It’s tough. That’s life. He’s been given the opportunity in the first place, so it’s not just about him. He’s playing a bigger role. He’s not going to be in Formula 1 this year or next year. His role is to help us as a team. That’s his job, and he gets a cool experience performing in front of his home crowd.

“We could have picked another track for him to go and do. So I think he should be happy that we picked Mexico. I’m happy for him to go and do that. I think it’s a very special thing for him, too. He’ll definitely get laps and be able to push, but he knows the risks and the rewards," added Norris.