O'Ward: 'McLaren knows what I'm capable of'

Pat O' Ward will have his first real rookie season in 2020. This year, the 2019 Indylights champion was signed by Harding Steinbrenner, but financial problems led the young team to do without the Mexican on the eve of the first sleeve. “Pato” will still find an agreement for 12 races with Carlin, but will only compete in 8 after becoming, in May, a member of the Red Bull Junior Team. Under the Austrian colors, he will play a round of F2 with MP Motorsport (Red Bull Ring) and three from Super Formula in Japan. Did O’ Ward have a future in F1 ? In the end, he was released by the bullfighting industry and was announced, on October 30, as a starter for the first season of Arrow McLaren SP in IndyCar, alongside Oliver Askew, 22 years old. One last happy rebound.

At the end of a strange season, you become a McLaren driver. What does this mean to you?

I am proud to have this opportunity, because since I was little, I dreamed of F1 and IndyCar, and being at McLaren is a dream. I am joining an established team with a lot of history in the category, a team that always aims for the best in all competitions in which it is involved.

What will be the ambitions for the first season of Arrow McLaren SP?

I'm sure we'll fight up front, because we don't do this sport to be fifteenth. But I don't want to set a specific goal, even if with a good car and good work, I'm sure the results will come. We will have to give our all, but also take things as they come. This is what I learned this year...

Are you referring to your ouster of Harding Steinbrenner?

Yes, among others. I was made a promise and it was not kept. In addition, the decision fell in February, when the teams were already almost complete. I really spent weeks under great stress, but I think it allowed me to grow as a driver and as a person. It was truly a crazy year.

You also joined the Red Bull Junior Team before being ousted in mid-October. For what ?

When Red Bull hired me, my Super License points had been pre-validated. The objective was then to arrive in F1 as quickly as possible. But ultimately, my Indylights championship title didn't give me any points, because there weren't enough cars entered! I can assure you that the competition was strong, because besides Colton Herta, I was also fighting against four or five drivers who had finished in the top 5 in previous championships. This decision put us in a delicate situation. Red Bull understood and let me go so I could reorient myself towards IndyCar.

Despite your mishap with Harding Steinbrenner, you still competed in eight rounds (*) of IndyCar with Carlin. What did you learn ?

A lot, especially in terms of tire and fuel management. Compared to the Indylights, the brakes are different, there is more aero load, more power, the car is heavier. It's a lot of new stuff to take in, but the type of driving is similar. This is also why many drivers who come from Indylights have become well acclimated to IndyCar.

You signed an 8^e place for your first race, in Austin, but then did not appear in the top 10. Why?

We were often unlucky when we got caught in skirmishes. To avoid these problems, you have to qualify at the forefront. Regardless, even though the results weren't there, I feel like I learned enough to be ready and competitive.

However, there are doubts about the possibility of two drivers as young as you and Oliver Askew being successful in their first season...

There will always be people who criticize, but I believe that the new generation has already shown that it can establish itself quickly. For me, the team does not take risks, because they know what we are capable of. This year, Colton Herta won two victories in his first season, and I dominated him when we were teammates (Andretti Autosport) in Indylights. With a good car, we can fight for victories.

You may find the question awkward, but your name doesn't sound very Mexican...

It’s true, it comes from my father, who is of Irish descent. And on my mother's side, we have Spanish roots. My parents work in real estate and restaurants. I live between Monterrey, my hometown (northern Mexico), and San Antonio (Texas).

How did you get started in motorsport?

My grandfather, who is passionate about cars, gave me a go-kart when I was three, but since I couldn't reach the pedals, I really started driving when I was six. In 2013 (at 14 years old. Editor's note), I went to Europe (Formula Renault 1.6 NEC. Editor’s note), and the following year I took part in the French F4 championship. I only participated in five races but finished 5^e or 6^e. The budgets to raise in Europe were too high and I returned to the United States (in ProMazda. Editor’s note).

You also ran a season in IMSA, in 2017, and became, at 17, the youngest driver to win Sebring and Daytona. How has this experience helped you?

These two victories are the most special of my career. More generally, this year in Prototype helped me in terms of race management: tires, fuel, strategy. I wasn’t Indylights champion the following year by chance…