July of 2022 was a heady time for IndyCar drivers who harbored Method One desires.

The long-broken bridge that after despatched Michael Andretti and Sebastien Bourdais from IndyCar’s mountaintop to F1’s taller peak was being rebuilt, or so we thought, as no fewer than three Indy aces started testing with McLaren. Lower than two years later, solely one of many F1 aspirants stays standing, Arrow McLaren star Pato O’Ward.

The partaking Mexican, who completed fourth within the IndyCar standings in 2023, continues to seek out himself within the heat embrace of motor racing’s hottest sequence whereas two of his closest IndyCar rivals have been solid apart.

Following an prolonged interval of inactivity, when drivers within the American open-wheel sequence held no curiosity to the F1 paddock, step one to appropriate the difficulty was made by McLaren. The Woking, England-based staff signed Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta to check for its F1 outfit on the similar time his staff proprietor, 1991 CART IndyCar Sequence champion and 1993 McLaren F1 driver Michael Andretti, was actively looking for to purchase the Alfa Romeo staff and be a part of the world of grand prix competitors as an entrant.

Herta’s July 2022 run in Portugal below the TPC laws — Testing of Earlier Automobile — allowed the Californian to indicate his pure pace and fast computing capabilities whereas affirming his readiness to race in F1 if Andretti might discover a method into the unique area.

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Regardless of being a routine winner in IndyCar, Herta’s pathway to F1 was something however easy as he lacked the requisite variety of tremendous license factors to race in F1. Via the McLaren testing preparations, although, there was hope for a good decision that might land the younger star on the grid with Andretti or one other staff within the interim.

Amid F1 groups’ heavy and sustained resistance to the efforts of Cadillac Andretti World to affix the grid, any immediacy to proceed testing with Herta has been misplaced. Rumored to have signed a profitable long-term contract with Andretti, Herta will likely be able to resume the getting-ready-for-F1 course of if Andretti World in some way positive factors approval from the likes of Pink Bull, Mercedes and the remaining to turn into F1’s eleventh entrant, however the odds aren’t in Andretti’s or Herta’s favor.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Álex Palou, IndyCar’s reigning champion, carried out his first F1 take a look at for McLaren final 12 months in September and impressed throughout his Free Apply 1 debut at Circuit of The Americas in October. McLaren CEO Zak Brown had large plans for Palou in IndyCar and doubtlessly in F1 after Palou was capable of negotiate a brand new contract with Ganassi final 12 months that might enable him to depart for McLaren after the 2023 IndyCar season was full.

With eyes fastened on the long run, McLaren handed Palou his most up-to-date F1 take a look at run in June on the Hungaroring. Simply as he engineered an exit from Ganassi to finally be a part of McLaren, Palou had a change of coronary heart this previous summer time and knowledgeable Brown and McLaren of his intent to stick with Ganassi in 2024 and past. Alleged to have signed a contract and obtained advance monies from McLaren, Palou’s entry to F1 met its finish with McLaren, who’s pursuing an eight-figure judgement in its favor by means of a lawsuit filed within the U.Ok.

That leaves O’Ward, the 24-year-old rocket from Monterrey, who spent final week in Palou’s native nation of Spain conducting one other TPC outing for McLaren at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, as IndyCar’s lone hope for illustration in F1. From all of the promising information of a number of IndyCar drivers being on the verge of F1 roles to McLaren focusing all its testing energies on its lead IndyCar driver, O’Ward has turn into an vital a part of Brown’s crossover plans for the full-time driver of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevy.

“From day one, Pato has been a part of our potential Method One plans, and at all times must be very targeted on IndyCar first, however you by no means know what occurs in motor racing,” Brown instructed ESPN. “Solely up till lately has Pato been ready to safe his tremendous license.

“All we might do final 12 months was take a look at, which is what we did, with hopes of him having the ability to get an excellent license. So within the occasion the celebs aligned, we have at all times felt Pato had the tempo, pleasure and talent to be a Method One driver. And so as soon as he has his tremendous license, we are going to proceed down that path.”

Former McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo and Pink Bull Driver Academy expertise Liam Lawson are the most recent examples of pilots who discovered themselves in sudden race seats as a consequence of in-season turbulence and harm. Brown sees O’Ward — as soon as he receives an excellent license — as an ideal match to step in if McLaren F1 drivers Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri are unable to race at any level subsequent season. The reserve driver function is one which was earmarked for Palou till his break up with McLaren.

“Clearly, we’re very proud of what is going on on with Lando and Oscar, however we additionally know the world of Method One can activate a dime,” Brown continued. “So we wish to make sure that one of many advantages of getting a number of groups inside McLaren Racing is to have alternatives for sponsors, for mechanics, engineers and likewise racing drivers to crosspollinate if it is sensible.

“In order I have a look at our steady of drivers, I contemplate our drivers to be McLaren drivers, who occurred to be racing in a Method One automobile or an Indy automobile or Method E automobile. And I’ve at all times been very open minded simply as we took Fernando [Alonso] from Method One to IndyCar, that ought to have a seat open up, we have Pato, who could be very able to being a Method One driver.

“We wish to make sure that he is ready within the occasion that that occurs. The tough half for us is our IndyCar staff is each bit as vital to us, so that you additionally must subsequently have plans in place that for those who begin shifting drivers round, you do not wish to ever compromise any of your racing applications.”

As a lot as O’Ward would love to present F1 a correct go, he is not prepared to let the take a look at runs and the upcoming FP1 outing on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix distract from his preparation for IndyCar’s 2024 season, when the sequence will debut its hybrid powertrains.

“Aside from attending to drive these rockets, it does not matter if I’ve pushed it 4 instances, 5 instances, six instances … first time, they’re simply superior machines,” O’Ward stated to ESPN. “Nothing comes near them by way of simply what it feels prefer to take one to the restrict. It is very thrilling each single time that I get to leap again into it, however on the finish of this, whether or not it does materialize right into a Method One drive or simply finally ends up being one thing the place I turn into a greater racing driver, it is a win-win.”

Though the possibilities of seeing O’Ward as greater than a short F1 stand-in for McLaren are slim, Brown cautions towards portray the continued take a look at program for IndyCar’s hottest driver as a publicity stunt.

“To begin with, it is price us tens of millions of {dollars} to go testing,” he retorted. “I am much less involved about what the paddock thinks and would by no means need my very own racing staff and board considering we have been doing this something for apart from the proper causes. If we wished to do a PR stunt, we would go do donuts down Broadway in New York with Kyle Larson.”

For his half, O’Ward will proceed accepting the invites from Brown to drive McLaren F1 vehicles whereas doing his greatest to maintain his childhood needs of representing the Mexican flag in grand prix racing in verify. IndyCar followers do not wish to lose O’Ward to F1, however he is among the many greatest candidates the sequence has to supply.

“Everyone within the staff is effectively conscious of what my aspirations have been ever since I used to be a child,” he stated moments earlier than returning to the observe in Spain. “So it truly is nearly benefiting from the chance and my job is to indicate them that I am prepared in the event that they want me, if a seat does open up. And that is as a lot as I can do.

“Aside from that, it is simply serving to the staff in the easiest way that I can with my skills, after which simply get pleasure from it. As a result of for those who’re not having fun with it, then there’s actually no level in doing this. However I can guarantee you that that I’ve a large smile on my face each time I am going out.”