Pato O’Ward  will participate in Free Practice 1 at the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix for the second consecutive year. O’Ward will wheel the MCL39 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for his home race on Friday, Oct. 24. Photo by Joe Skibinski

By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio

Arrow McLaren INDYCAR ace Pato O’Ward will scratch his Formula One itch before his most fervent fans later this season.

McLaren Formula 1 Team has confirmed that O’Ward will participate in Free Practice 1 at the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix for the second consecutive year. O’Ward will wheel the MCL39 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for his home race on Friday, Oct. 24.

In addition to logging valuable seat time in the MCL39, O’Ward will provide support across the race weekend via feedback on car setup to F1 teammates Lando Norris of Great Britian and Oscar Piastri of Australia.

“We are pleased to confirm that Pato will participate in Free Practice 1 at the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix as he gains valuable time behind the wheel of the MCL39,” said Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1. “Pato provided an appreciated contribution last season and continues to impress in the NTT IndyCar Series, making him a suitable driver for the Free Practice 1 session.

“This will provide further knowledge for Pato as he continues to be available as part of our Reserve Driver pool for the second year, ensuring we have a wide pool of drivers available to be called upon if required.”

Following conclusion of his Arrow McLaren driving duties in the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series in late August, Pato will be available in the same role he held throughout McLaren’s Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship-winning season in 2024.

O’Ward’s latest foray into F1 comes with the full approval of California native Zak Brown, chief executive officer of McLaren Racing.

“I’m excited to be jumping back in the car for FP1 at my home race in Mexico this year,” said O’Ward, a 25-year-old native of Monterrey, Mexico, with family ties to San Antonio. “The Mexico City fans were unbelievable last time out, and it was a great feeling being able to extract everything from the program that the team had planned. I’m looking forward to going again this year, working with Zak, Andrea and the whole team.”

Plans for the three remaining young driver Free Practice sessions will be announced in due course.

Meanwhile, INDYCAR personnel will begin Month of May activity at Indianapolis Motor Speedway today on the IMS Road-Course. First practice for Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix was booked for 9:30 a.m. (EDT), followed by a second session at 1:10 p.m. and NTT P1 Award qualifying at 4:35 p.m. FS2 will air coverage of the first two practices live, while qualifying will be broadcast on FS1. The FOX Sports app and INDYCAR Radio Network also will provide live coverage of all three sessions.

O’Ward is fourth in championship points following a sixth-place finish in last Sunday’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.

“Last weekend was a decent result for us, and it’s definitely something we want to keep building on,” O’Ward said. “The Indy GP always feels like the real start of the Month of May, and there’s just an energy around Indianapolis that’s hard to beat. We’re locked-in and ready to make the most of it.”

Through four races, O’Ward’s average starting position is 10.2; his average finishing position is 8.0. His best start was from P1 at The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix in California, where he finished a season-best second.

Saturday’s race – scheduled for 85 laps/207.32 miles around the IMS Road-Course’s 2.44-mile/14-turn layout – will be televised by FOX Sports at 4:30 p.m. (EDT). Alex Palou, the three-time/reigning INDYCAR champion from Spain and Chip Ganassi Racing, won last year’s race from pole position.

O’Ward has logged 11 starts on the IMS Road-Course, including P1 in 2021. His best finish was second in 2023; last May, Pato placed 13^th. Saturday’s event will serve as a prelude to practice and qualifying for the 109^th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 25, on the famed 2.5-mile IMS oval.

McLaren Racing was founded by racing driver/engineer Bruce McLaren of New Zealand in 1963. The team entered its first Formula 1 race in 1966. McLaren since has won 21 Formula 1 World Championships, 194 Formula 1 Grand Prixs, the Indianapolis 500 three times –  including 1974 and 1976 with Johnny Rutherford of Fort Worth, Texas – and the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance classic in its first attempt.   

McLaren Racing competes across five racing series – the FIA Formula 1 World Championship with McLaren F1 drivers Norris and Piastri; the NTT IndyCar Series with Arrow McLaren drivers O’Ward, Nolan Siegel and Christian Lundgaard of Denmark; the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship as the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team with drivers Sam Bird and Taylor Barnard, both of Great Britain, and F1 Academy with Driver Development program member Ella Lloyd of Wales.

The team also competes in the F1 Sim Racing Championship as McLaren Shadow with Lucas Blakeley and Wilson Hughes, both of Scotland, and Alfie Butcher of Great Britain.

NTT IndyCar Series Point Standings – 1, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, 196; 2, Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren, 136; 3, Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global, 127; 4, Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, 108; 5, Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, 105; 6, Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, 105; 7, Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, 104; 8, Colton Herta, Andretti Global, 99; 9, Will Power, Team Penske, 93; 10, Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing, 82;

11, Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, 78; 12, Rinus VeeKay, Dale Coyne Racing, 78; 13, Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global, 65; 14, Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank Racing, 64; 15, Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Racing, 63; 16, Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 61; 17, Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing, 57; 18, David Malukas, A.J. Foyt Racing, 56; 19, Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing, 55; 20, Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren, 48;

21, Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 47; 22, Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 43; 23, Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing, 35; 24, Callum Ilott, Prema Racing, 32; 25, Devlin DeFrancesco, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 30; 26, Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 30; 27, Jacob Abel, Dale Coyne Racing, 27.

FOX SPORTS’ 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES BROADCAST COVERAGE SCHEDULE

Sunday, March 2 _ Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)

Sunday, March 23 _The Thermal Club, Thermal, Calif.  (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)

Sunday, April 13 _ Streets of Long Beach, Calif. (Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global)

Sunday, May 4 _ Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala. (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)

Saturday, May 10 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course (FOX, 4:30 p.m.)

Sunday, May 25 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval (FOX, 10 a.m.)

Sunday, June 1 _ Streets of Detroit (FOX, 12:30 p.m.)

Sunday, June 15 _ World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill. (FOX, 3 p.m.)

Sunday, June 22 _ Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. (FOX, 3:30 p.m.)

Sunday, July 6 _ Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington (FOX, 2 p.m.)

Saturday, July 12 _ Iowa Speedway, Newton, Race 1 (FOX, 5 p.m.)

Sunday, July 13 _ Iowa Speedway, Newton, Race 2 (FOX, 2 p.m.)

Sunday, July 20 _ Streets of Toronto, Canada (FOX, 2 p.m.)

Sunday, July 27 _ WeatherTech Raceway, Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif. (FOX, 3 p.m.)

Sunday, Aug. 10 _ Portland (Ore.) International Raceway (FOX, 3 p.m.)

Sunday, Aug. 24 _ The Milwaukee Mile, West Allis, Wis. (FOX, 2 p.m.)

Sunday, Aug. 31 _ Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, Tenn. (2:30 p.m.)

NOTE _ All times Eastern. Dates and times subject to change.