16 September 2023 15:16 (UTC)
The Mexican driver will get behind the wheel of the MCL60 at the Yas Marina Circuit
Pato O’Ward is set for his second free practice 1 session for the McLaren Formula 1 Team at the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with the Mexican driver confirmed to drive Lando’s car in the 60-minute session at the Yas Marina Circuit.
The 24-year-old will also drive for our F1 team in the end-of-season test at the Yar Marina Circuit following the race in Abu Dhabi.
Pato’s competitive F1 debut came in the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he clocked up 22 laps in Lando’s car. Despite missing a period of the session due to technical issues, he still managed to finish 18th overall with a time of 1:28.35, collecting invaluable data for the team and completing his assigned programme.
Pato is a member of our official Driver Development Programme and already has extensive experience in old-spec McLaren F1 machinery as part of the programme, driving the MCL35M in multiple private tests.
His second FP1 appearance comes off the back of another impressive NTT INDYCAR SERIES campaign, where the 24-year-old picked up seven of our 10 podium finishes – the second highest in the series.
He finished in the top four for the third time in four seasons, ending the year with 484 points. Pato – who has five wins from his previous three seasons with Arrow McLaren - finished second four times in 2023 and narrowly missed out on a victory at Texas, where he led the field for much of the race, only for untimely yellow flags to deny him a win.
McLaren Plus is our free-to-join fan loyalty programme, bringing McLaren fans closer to the team with the most inclusive, rewarding and open-to-all fan programmes in motorsport.
