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O’Ward confirmed for F1 FP1 outing in Abu Dhabi
Mexican driver Pato O’Ward will be driving the MCL60 for the opening session of the Abu Dhabi race weekend, which is the final race of the season on November 26. This opportunity comes after O’Ward previously tested F1 machinery in a young driver test in 2021 and drove in FP1 for McLaren at Abu Dhabi last season. His invitation to test an F1 car was partially due to his successes in IndyCar, where he won his first race at Texas Motor Speedway. According to the rules, each F1 team must have a driver with no more than two grand prix starts drive during FP1 once a year. This gives prospective talent a chance to break into the sport, but teams must find a suitable driver towards the end of the year for this session. O’Ward will fulfill McLaren’s second required FP1 rookie outing, with Oscar Piastri making his run at Bahrain. While O’Ward had a solid season in IndyCar, finishing fourth in the championship, he plans to focus on his slow-and-steady F1 ambitions now that he has more time available.
Source: Motorsport Week
