Palou to drive Daniel Ricciardo's car on Friday at Austin; O'Ward to take Lando Norris' car for session at Abu Dhabi.
- IndyCar drivers Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward are scheduled for Formula 1 free practice one (FP1) sessions at Austin and Abu Dhabi, respectively.
- Palou will drive Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren at Circuit of the Americas, and O’Ward will drive Lando Norris’ car at Abu Dhabi.
- American Logan Sargeant will practice with Willams at Austin.
IndyCar drivers Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward will be getting an opportunity to show their stuff on a Formula 1 stage this fall.
Chip Ganassi Racing IndyCar driver Palou is scheduled for a Friday practice session for the McLaren Racing F1 team on Oct. 21 as part of the 2022 Aramco United States Grand Prix. Arrow McLaren SP driver O’Ward will get his FP1 opportunity later at Abu Dhabi.
Palou will drive Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 car for the 60-minute session at Circuit of the Americas.
The test sessions goes toward McLaren satisfying a Formula 1 regulation that calls for each team to run rookies during two first practice sessions (FP1) of a F1 race weekend. Palou will be one of four rookies on track Oct. 21 in Austin, along with Robert Shwartzman (Ferrari), Theo Pourchaire (Alfa Romeo) and American Logan Sargeant (Williams).
Palou won the NTT IndyCar championship in 2021 and has four wins and 15 podiums in IndyCar. He was signed earlier this year to a testing deal with McLaren F1. The testing deal will not conflict with his Ganassi IndyCar ride.
American racer Logan Sargeant is in line for an October 21 F1 practice session with Williams at Circuit of the Americas.
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“I’m so excited to be making my F1 weekend debut. It’s great to be driving in the United States in front of fans that may have seen me race in IndyCar,” Palou said. “Having driven the 2021 McLaren MCL35M in a few tests now, I can’t wait to put the MCL36 through its paces. I look forward to helping the team in their preparation for the 2022 United States Grand Prix.”
Palou is not the only IndyCar driver with eyes on a possible future in Formula 1. O’Ward is scheduled to drive Lando Norris’ MCL35M F1 car in a Friday practice on Nov. 18 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“I can’t wait to get out on track in Abu Dhabi,” O’Ward said. “I’ve developed as a driver and had a lot of fun testing last year’s car with the team, so it will be a great experience to drive the MCL36. Thank you McLaren F1 for the opportunity.”
Pato O’Ward is in line for a Formula 1 test session at Abu Dhabi in November.
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Neither Palou or O’Ward are in line for a Formula 1 seat in 2023. Palou has the sufficient amount of Super License points to qualify for a Formula 1 seat in 2023, but O’Ward comes up short in that category.
“We’re pleased to give Alex and Pato the opportunity to take part in free practice sessions with McLaren,” said McLaren Racing team principal Andres Seidl. “With Alex’s great successes in IndyCar, it will be useful for the team to get his feedback on the car and for us to continue to evaluate him as a driver.
“Alex and Pato impressed with their recent tests in Barcelona and Austria and we’re excited to offer them the experience in the MCL36. It’s a great chance for them to showcase their skills on Formula 1’s global stage, where the focus will be to help the team prepare for the race weekend and not on ultimate lap times.”
Mike Pryson Mike Pryson covered auto racing for the Jackson (Mich.) Citizen Patriot and MLive Media Group from 1991 until joining Autoweek in 2011.
Keyword: Indy Car Drivers Alex Palou, Pato O'Ward Named for McLaren F1 FP1 Practice Sessions