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What Offseason? Pato O’Ward’s Exciting, Never-Ending Racing Calendar

From weddings to FP1, Pato's presence was felt throughout the world

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For most in the paddock, the checkered flag at Nashville Superspeedway on September 15 marked the end of another wild NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. Sure, testing, training and further development continued into the fall and winter, but the intense push from the drivers and teams decelerated into a more relaxed workflow. 

But it didn’t slow down for everyone. 

As Pato crossed the finish line in P2 in the season finale and put the cap on another strong INDYCAR season, Pato’s work was far from over. The next three months for Pato were filled with travel domestically and overseas, honing his craft and celebrating life. 

While most of Pato’s offseason has been documented, there are a few things the public might have missed. Here’s to hoping this rundown gives you an appreciation for how Pato never really stops racing and how that makes him the athlete that he is.  

Wedding szn

Immediately following the INDYCAR finale in Nashville, Pato had some personal matters to attend to with an old friend. One of his best friends and former teammates, Felix Rosenqvist, was getting married, and Pato couldn’t miss the big day! Pato traveled all the way to Sweden for the nuptials, proving the bromance is alive and well. 

Testing time

Pato parlayed his trip to Scandinavia with his first duties of the year with the Formula 1 team as part of its Driver Development Programme. He spent time at the MTC getting ready for his Free Practice 1 later in the Fall, meeting with engineers, engaging with the team and training for what was to come. Later in the week, he jumped behind the wheel of an F1 car for the first time that season in a test at Silverstone. 

Back stateside

After his 11-day jaunt in Europe, Pato returned to the United States for some Arrow McLaren business. He started this out in Sonoma, California, driving historic cars as part of the Velocity Invitational. He then returned home for some fun with the social admins for a day of content creation, which was undoubtedly Pato’s favorite part of the offseason (don’t fact-check that). Finally, he got some on-track action at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, taking part in the annual IMS Open Test.  

Tired yet? Pato wasn’t! 

A fan at the Mexican GP cheers on Pato during his FP1

Fun with F1

Pato spent the next two weeks at the United States GP and Mexico City GP, going flat-out in preparation for his FP1 in front of his home fans. He was chomping at the bit to get on track in a Formula 1 car in his native country for the first time. 

Pato didn’t disappoint when he got behind the wheel of Lando’s MCL38, drawing roars from his fans as he finished P13 in the session. It may have just been one session, but Pato soaked in every second of it.  

Siesta 

Pato was due for a much-needed break. He spent the last week of October and first week of November soaking up the sun in Punta Mita, Mexico. 

Back at it 

Finally, Pato was hitting the home stretch of his 2024 campaign. Pato joined the F1 team for the last three races of the season on their path to clinching the Constructors' Championship, going from Las Vegas to Qatar and finally Abu Dhabi. 

On top of the celebration that was following the momentous race at Yas Marina Circuit, Pato’s primary focus came two days after race day. He joined Lando and Oscar in the final test of the year, where Pato laid down 116 laps in an impressive stint. While the data for the Formula 1 team was important, all the laps Pato was able to rack up throughout the fall and winter also provided him valuable learning experience to take back to INDYCAR. 

Parties and partners

To end the year, Pato joined his fellow drivers and teammates at the Arrow McLaren holiday party to celebrate the spirit of the season. He even emceed part of the evening, helping to recognize the achievements of the men and women across the team. 

Before finally settling down for the holidays, Pato took the time to film content with team partners. We’re not going to spoil what the content looks like, but let’s just say there will be some fun hitting the channels down the road. 

And, with that, Pato’s action-packed 2024 was done. Pato went to Mexico to celebrate Christmas with his family and to recharge for what is sure to be another win-filled season in 2025.