McLaren has announced that Mexican driver Pato O’Ward will participate in Free Practice 1 (FP1) at the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix, marking his second consecutive year taking part in his home race weekend .
O’Ward, a standout in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and a key member of McLaren’s F1 reserve driver pool, will pilot the MCL39 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Friday, October 24. This FP1 session not only provides O’Ward with valuable track time but also fulfills McLaren’s obligation under F1 regulations to run rookie drivers in practice sessions .
Expressing his enthusiasm, O’Ward stated, “I’m excited to be jumping back in the car for FP1 at my home race in Mexico this year. The Mexico City fans were unbelievable last time out, and it was a great feeling being able to extract everything from the programme that the team had planned. I’m looking forward to going again this year, working with Zak, Andrea and the whole team” .
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella praised O’Ward’s contributions, noting, “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” .
O’Ward’s participation in the FP1 session underscores McLaren’s commitment to developing talent across its racing programs and provides local fans with the opportunity to support a homegrown driver on the Formula 1 stage.