‘They made me feel like a pop star’ – Pato O’Ward’s ‘intense’ Formula 1 homecoming

Pato O’Ward isn’t a Formula 1 driver, nor is he a frontman for a beloved boy band — but if you saw him arrive at the Plaza Reforma 222 shopping mall in downtown Mexico City on Wednesday night, you’d be forgiven for assuming that was the case. 

A fan-favorite in America’s IndyCar series, Pato O’Ward is responsible for drawing crowds and filling grandstands everywhere from the spectacular Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the modest Milwaukee Mile, but in his home country, the young Mexican driver has had to admit the love of his fans “made me feel like a pop star” ahead of his FP1 debut at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Racing driver or pop star? Pato O’Ward on his “intense” Mexico GP debut

“‘Pato, don’t shunt the car! Pato, if you try to go too fast, I’m going to scream at you! And we need information! And this information is extremely important to what the rest of the weekend is going to look like!'”

Pato O’Ward was in high spirits in McLaren hospitality. He had just completed his third free practice session in Formula 1, and his very first at his home track, the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, in 13th place. Surrounded by both English- and Spanish-language media, the Mexican driver seemed keen to gush about yet another outing in the pinnacle of international open-wheel motorsport — and he kicked things off with a joke about what instructions the team gave him before he got into the car.

In his usual style, O’Ward followed his joke by elaborating with, “It was very clear that I had to prioritize everything that was needed from me in terms of gathering information, being consistent.

“But it’s quite difficult when you don’t know this car, you don’t know this track much, and you know, you’re trying to learn for yourself, but you’re also trying to stay as consistent, and as you know, as consistent as possible for the team, for all the data that they’re gathering,” he said.

“But I’m very pleased with it. I think we gathered everything that we needed to in a pretty chaotic session, and I think they’re pretty happy with with with the job that I did.

“I certainly am.”

He referred to the running as “intense,” as he was tasked with breaking in some new upgrades for Lando Norris’ No. 4 McLaren, though it didn’t give him much of a chance to play around.

“I would have loved to have some more chance, maybe on the hard to prepare for the soft,” he admitted to media, including PlanetF1.com.

“I can feel pretty pleased with with what I got out for myself, and with all the information that I was able to gather for the team, because they’re obviously in a pretty important title fight, and I’m obviously here to to make sure and to help that that they stay where they are.

“But it was a dream come true.”

Understanding Pato O’Ward’s influence:

? Loud engines, South American races: How Pato O’Ward believes IndyCar can challenge Formula 1

? Pato O’Ward put it all on the line to build his personal brand — and IndyCar should do the same

His FP1 performance isn’t the only thing O’Ward should be proud of. In a year that saw IndyCar CEO Mark Miles claim the Mexican driver didn’t have a strong enough fanbase to justify the series organize a race in the country, O’Ward alone has drawn crowds worthy of a superstar.

When his car left the garage during practice, the cheers from the grandstands were loud enough to be audible in the media center. Floating Pato heads dotted the grandstands, while plenty of fans donned O’Ward merchandise — including the “Pato who?” hat released in the aftermath of Mark Miles’ comments.

But perhaps nothing proved his superstar status quite like his appearance at Plaza Reforma 222. What O’Ward initially assumed would be a tame meet-and-greet instead saw fans flooding into the mall, three stories deep, just for a chance at spotting the driver.

“They made me feel like a pop star,” O’Ward mused in response to PlanetF1.com after his free practice run.

“I certainly don’t feel like I’m a pop star. I just feel like I’m a racing driver — just a human walking around, smiling.”

Still, O’Ward had to admit that the reception to his casual meet-and-greet was something special, even if he “wasn’t expecting it at all.”

In fact, little went right for O’Ward in the build-up to the event. He recounted how he found himself stuck in traffic, his only option to arrive on time being by foot.

“We had to be there in like five minutes, and it was going to take 40 minutes. I got out of the car and I ran to the building,” he said in response to PlanetF1.com. “But when I got to the building […] there were lines wrapped around the building.

“I’ve never seen anything like that for me, ever.

“One guy was like, ‘ah, there he is!’ I was like, I need to rush in. Everybody created a tunnel, which is really cool, and then I just ran through there.

“And the loudest screams I’ve ever heard in my life! It was a really crazy moment for me because I don’t experience that pretty much ever until this weekend.

“It definitely was really special and obviously just leaves [me] wanting more with having events here.”

Growing up in Mexico and Texas, Pato O’Ward’s racing path has taken him through the American ladder system. He’s been racing in IndyCar since 2019, though that hasn’t stopped him from trying to pursue a career in Formula 1. The year he joined IndyCar, he also signed with the Red Bull junior program in hopes of ascending to Toro Rosso, only for a lack of super license points to hold him back.

Upon joining McLaren Racing, CEO Zak Brown promised O’Ward an outing in an F1 car if he could win a race, and in 2021, O’Ward delivered. He took his first laps at Laguna Seca before testing in Abu Dhabi and Barcelona. In 2022, he made his first Free Practice run in an F1 car in Abu Dhabi. This weekend marked his third.

Though he did chase down some F1 leads earlier in his career, O’Ward told journalists, including PlanetF1.com, that he’s dedicated to fulfilling ambitions in IndyCar before he considers making the full-time F1 swap.

“I’m focused on IndyCar. That’s my job — and my job is to be a champion there,” he said.

“My biggest regret could be getting the opportunity to come here to Formula 1 and then not being able to accomplish what I want to accomplish in IndyCar.”

That coveted Indy 500 victory — which O’Ward missed out on by a mere fraction this this year — tops his list, with an IndyCar championship following close behind.

But O’Ward doesn’t feel like he needs to compete in Formula 1 to be considered a success.

“Just being an IndyCar driver, I already feel that I am a leader in Mexican motorsport,” he said.

“I don’t need to get to F1 to be a leader of the country. I know that many people watch F1 and it’s the biggest thing there is. But if IndyCar becomes what it was 20 years ago, it would be on par with F1.

“I want to get to F1 because it’s my dream and my father’s dream. He is the one who has dedicated himself to me to get to this point.

“But I don’t see it as a failure if I don’t make it.”

Further, an IndyCar race in Mexico could be on the horizon in the future. Though series boss Mark Miles stated earlier this year that O’Ward’s fanbase wouldn’t justify hosting a race in Mexico City, the CEO has since walked back those claims — and even seems hopeful that the series could race in Mexico City in the near future.

Should that be the case, then O’Ward would be making big waves in motorsport without having to race actively in Formula 1 — and could perhaps even contribute to the growth he hopes to see in IndyCar.

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