Pato O'Ward accepts Formula 1 dream is over citing "I'm not excited" to drive current cars

The Mexican has driven in five Formula 1 practice sessions for McLaren since 2022. However, he now wants to concentrate entirely on his successful IndyCar career. O'Ward told the Speed Street podcast: “There's really nothing in me that is aching to keep on as a reserve in Formula 1. I'm in a great place in Indy; I love the series. That's where I want to be.

“Looking at what the race cars are currently, I'm not really excited to drive one. So I've politely asked to be fired from all my services. I want to focus on my priorities and enjoy my life," declared O'Ward, whose latest comments represent a significant change in direction for a driver previously considered among McLaren’s potential Formula 1 options.

O'Ward remains contracted to Arrow McLaren in IndyCar and has established himself as one of the championship’s leading drivers. He has won ten IndyCar races and remains central to the team’s long-term programme.

O'Ward said he remained grateful for the opportunities McLaren had given him in Formula 1. However, those experiences also helped him understand that the environment did not appeal to him as much as IndyCar.

He explained, "I know I wasn’t a full-time driver there, but I have enough of a whiff of what that world is like, and I genuinely don’t think that is for me; it’s not a place where I can say I’ve enjoyed more than IndyCar.”

The 27-year-old also questioned the assumption that every driver should regard Formula 1 as the ultimate destination: “I know F1 is put on a pedestal, but just because the plate looks like gold doesn’t mean what you’re eating is healthier.”

O'Ward’s decision comes while he is enjoying another strong period in IndyCar. He won the Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio last weekend, leading an Arrow McLaren one-two finish ahead of Christian Lundgaard.

That result added another victory to a record which has made him one of IndyCar’s most recognisable drivers.

It also reinforced why O'Ward sees no reason to continue dividing his attention between two very different championships. O'Ward has also been confirmed in Arrow McLaren’s 2027 driver line-up.

He will be joined by six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon and Sweden’s 2026 Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist. The experienced line-up underlines McLaren’s ambitions in North America and gives O'Ward a clear competitive future away from Formula 1.

His position contrasts with earlier stages of his career, when Formula 1 opportunities appeared to remain part of his long-term ambitions.

O'Ward completed practice appearances for McLaren while continuing to race full-time in IndyCar. Those outings allowed him to experience Formula 1 machinery and work inside the team’s Grand Prix operation.

But he has now reached what he described as a different point in his life. “I really don't care any more,” O'Ward said when discussing whether Formula 1 remained an objective.

His lack of enthusiasm also extends to the current generation of Formula 1 cars. O'Ward made clear that he was not particularly excited by the prospect of driving them.

McLaren would not be left without reserve cover should O'Ward’s request be accepted. The reigning Formula 1 champions also have Italian Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli available as a reserve driver.

For O'Ward, the priority is now unmistakable. He wants to race in IndyCar, compete for major victories and enjoy the environment where he believes he belongs. Formula 1 gave him valuable experience and a close look at the championship’s inner workings.

It also convinced him that chasing a permanent place there was no longer worthwhile. O'Ward has not lost his ambition. He has simply decided that his future lies somewhere else; Formula 1 in its current state is not for him.