Pato O'Ward drops Formula 1 duties to focus on IndyCar title chase
NXTbets Pro | Published On: July 9, 2026
O'Ward exits Formula One
Pato O'Ward has asked McLaren to release him from its Formula One reserve-driver role and strip away all F1 duties, choosing to put his IndyCar title chase with Arrow McLaren first. He made the comments on Conor Daly’s Speed Street podcast and said his IndyCar program now needs to be his sole focus. O'Ward said his Formula One ambitions have faded from the level they once held earlier in his career, and the extra commitment has become too disruptive to his training, offseason preparation and personal life. He said he wants more personal time and a healthier work-life balance. He also said he has gone five straight years without an offseason, and that the nonstop schedule has become increasingly difficult. That marks a clear shift for a driver who spent years hoping for a Formula One opening with McLaren and took part in practice sessions and post-season testing for the team. His most recent Formula One outing came in an FP1 session at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year.
IndyCar takes priority
O'Ward said he feels he is in a strong position in IndyCar and wants to stay in the American-based series rather than keep chasing a move to Formula One. He said he is fully committed to IndyCar and wants that path to define the next stage of his career. The change puts his title chase at the center of his schedule and leaves less room for the outside commitments that came with McLaren's F1 program. O'Ward has been part of the McLaren family since 2020, and he shared reserve-driver duties with Leonardo Fornaroli. That connection helped keep him close to the Formula One operation, but O'Ward's comments show a firmer line now between that role and the work he wants to do on the IndyCar side. He wants the focus to stay on performance in the series where he believes he can contend.
McLaren keeps O'Ward
McLaren has confirmed that O'Ward will remain with the team through the 2027 IndyCar season, a sign that his future still sits squarely with the Arrow McLaren program. The driver is expected to continue his IndyCar season at Nashville on July 20. That next race now carries the weight of a reset, with O'Ward entering it after making clear that his priorities have changed. He wants his racing schedule to support his IndyCar pursuit, not split it. The move closes the door on a wider Formula One role for now and centers his work on the championship fight in front of him.
