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New York Times
7 days ago
- Automotive
- New York Times
Christian Horner's surprising firing by Red Bull F1 raises many questions
Red Bull was on top of the world at the end of the 2023 season. Untouchable and almost unbeatable. Max Verstappen had secured 19 wins en route to a third consecutive world championship, clinching the title in Qatar with five races remaining, with the team securing the constructors' championship as early as September in Japan in a car widely regarded as one of the greatest in the sport's history. The 2023 season for Red Bull is, by many measures, one of the most dominant by team and driver in F1 history. But when the new year rang, the team began to unravel. In less than two years, a championship-caliber team has disintegrated, Horner's surprise sacking on Wednesday being the denouement. Rob Marshall had left for McLaren, joining as its chief designer in January 2024. Chief technical officer Adrian Newey, widely described as a design genius, left for Aston Martin a few months later, and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley became the team principal for Sauber (a team that has outscored Red Bull 35 to 29 points over the last four race weekends). Will Courtney, head of race strategy, left the Milton Keynes-based crew last fall after 20 years with the team and will join McLaren sometime during the 2026 season. Advertisement The drivers' side has experienced changes since that era-defining 2023 season, too. Sergio Pérez was replaced by Liam Lawson, who was then replaced by Yuki Tsunoda two races into this season. The team's second seat pales in comparison to the performances Verstappen has strung together over the last 18 months, but even the Dutchman's results have been a far cry from his world championship-contending years. Verstappen has been vocal about his issues with the car, and yet Red Bull hasn't figured out how to remedy it and is staring down a regulation change come 2026. Horner, the team's leader since it joined the Formula One grid in 2005, has weathered the highs of Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen's championship-winning seasons, as well as the lows of last year's investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior, which was subsequently dismissed. Horner has always denied the allegations. But 12 races into the season, and a few days after Verstappen had secured pole but ultimately finished fifth in the British Grand Prix with his team-mate last, Horner's 20-year tenure has come to an end. It came as a surprise and raises plenty of questions. But how did we get here? And, crucially, why now? As shocking as Horner's departure is, the biggest question his exit has raised is what this means for Verstappen, the reigning world champion and one of the greatest drivers in the sport's history. Verstappen thanked Horner in a social media post a few hours after the 51-year-old's sacking was made public. 'From my first race win to four world championships, we have shared incredible successes. Winning memorable races and breaking countless records,' his post on X said. It was a positive summation of a partnership that had come under scrutiny during Red Bull's tumultuous last 18 months. Advertisement Complicating matters was Verstappen's father's relationship with Horner and Jos Verstappen's public airing of his grievances, often putting his son in an awkward position of being asked about them. In an interview with the Daily Mail during last year's investigation, Jos Verstappen warned that Red Bull would 'explode' were Horner to remain in position. 'He is playing the victim when he is the one causing the problems,' Jos said. Verstappen's response to his father's comments ahead of that March's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was to say his father was 'not a liar', raising further questions about Horner and Verstappen's futures within the team. Verstappen went on to win a fourth world title at the end of that turbulent year, and the 27-year-old is under contract with the team until the end of the 2028 campaign, but that hasn't stopped further speculation, most recently about a possible move to Mercedes — something the Silver Arrows haven't shut down. Mercedes' current No. 1, George Russell, whose contract expires at the end of the year, said at Silverstone that the likelihood of him not being at Mercedes next year was 'exceptionally low'. Verstappen had always publicly supported Horner and the team's performance, unwilling to throw anyone under the bus. But even as recently as last weekend in Silverstone, he remained quiet about his future. Picking a team for next season is more complicated than in previous years due to the 2026 regulation changes, which include updates to fuel, engines and cars. It's not as simple as making a move to the most competitive team this season. The grid pecking order won't be clear until the teams arrive in Australia for the first race of the season, when the cars will be in a true competitive environment. When asked about whether it would be risky to switch teams ahead of a fresh regulation set, Verstappen said, 'That's why I'm contracted to Red Bull.' Does Horner's exit make Verstappen more likely to stay? That will be the defining question facing the team next. After Horner's exit, the speculation is unlikely to go away — especially if Red Bull's on-track performance does not improve dramatically. Red Bull's problems began in 2024, a season in which they were expected to dominate, as Verstappen had won all but three races the previous year and Red Bull had clinched both championships. But, instead, the 2023 form and cohesion faded away. In 2024 preseason testing, Horner came under investigation after allegations of controlling and inappropriate behaviour were made against him by a female employee. Horner denied the allegations. Advertisement Red Bull GmbH, the F1 team's parent company, confirmed in early February that an independent investigation into the allegations against Horner had been launched and 'an external specialist barrister' would handle the matter. Horner was questioned by a King's Counsel (KC) on Feb. 9, and the season launch took place several days later. On Feb. 28, Red Bull's parent company announced the investigation was completed and the grievance was dismissed. Last August, Red Bull confirmed the employee's appeal was 'not upheld.' As the investigations continued in the background, Horner remained in charge. Verstappen maintained he was focused on what was happening on the track, and the team was performing well. Verstappen and Pérez had secured consecutive 1-2 finishes to start the season, and did so again in the fourth race of the season in Japan. But in May, Pérez's performance began to slip, and he never recovered, ultimately losing his seat. Without both cars performing, Red Bull was vulnerable. McLaren came storming back, Ferrari joined the constructors' fight, with the papaya cars coming out on top by season's end. Throughout that season, from a performance perspective at least, Horner's position never seemed under threat. But the number of high-profile departures raised questions. Horner had the Yoovidhya family's support over the last 18 months, and they own 51 percent of the parent company's shares. Mark Mateschitz, the son of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich, owns the other 49 percent. But the on-track downturn complicated matters, and the car became one where neither driver could consistently extract competitive performance. This year, Verstappen produced two sensational victories in Japan and Emilia-Romagna, but the gulf between Red Bull and the leaders, McLaren, is evident — currently, it stands at 288 points. Dietrich Mateschitz bought the Jaguar Racing team in 2004 and rebranded it Red Bull Racing, the team joining the grid a year later with Horner as team principal. Within five years, Red Bull went from an unproven project to a dominant force on the grid, securing the drivers' titles from 2010 to 2013. It was the start of a dominant run. But after a major regulation change in 2014, Mercedes took control of the sport, and Red Bull — then using underperforming Renault engines — struggled to compete. The 2016 campaign (Verstappen's debut season) proved to be stronger. The return to the championships didn't happen until the 2021 season, when Verstappen battled Lewis Hamilton and secured his first title after a controversial finish to the Abu Dhabi GP. Red Bull, Verstappen and Pérez, who joined in 2021, continued their climb back to glory, as it won the constructors' titles in 2022 and 2023 and Verstappen won three consecutive championships. Advertisement But Verstappen's 2024 title didn't come easily as the rest of the grid began catching up, and issues with the car became more pronounced as the year wore on, though not as visible as this season, likely because of Verstappen's talent. Now, as another major regulation shift looms, the cracks in Red Bull's armor are hard to ignore. Balance problems persist and questions about Verstappen's future loom large. But if Red Bull once again climbs back to the top, it won't be Horner at the helm this time.
Times
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- Times
Sergio Perez: I've been told Red Bull regret axing me
Sergio Pérez claims he has been told that his former employers Red Bull regret replacing him, and believes their problems began when Adrian Newey departed. Pérez was dropped by Red Bull after only finishing eighth last year in the drivers' standings, while his team-mate Max Verstappen stormed to a fourth world title. The 35-year-old Mexican, who The Times reported is in talks to join new team Cadillac next season, was then replaced by Liam Lawson for 2025 — but the New Zealander lasted only two races before Yuki Tsunoda was promoted in his place. It has become apparent, given all those drivers' struggles, that the Red Bull car is temperamental to drive, and only Verstappen is truly comfortable in it. Even he has demanded more from it, although some of the balance issues appear to have been partly remedied. Tsunoda has struggled to score points consistently while McLaren appear to be racing away with the constructors' title for the second year in a row, opening up a 175-point lead on second-placed Mercedes, and 212 points clear of Red Bull in fourth. Pérez, as the first driver to struggle as Red Bull's issues emerged, was a lightning rod for criticism — and sources have previously intimated that the team's problems were exacerbated by a lack of detailed feedback from Pérez. Only since the Mexican's departure has his role perhaps been more appreciated, but he does not believe he is owed an apology. 'No,' Pérez told Desde el Paddock. 'I mean, at the end of the day, that's how the sport is. They made certain decisions because of the immense pressure — pressure that they themselves helped create. But I know, deep down, they regret it. And I know that from a very reliable source. 'Still, what can you do? You move on. It's tough. I have very good friends there, and people might think I take pleasure in what happened — but no.' Verstappen is still in contention for a fifth drivers' title in a row but finds himself in third, behind the McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. In the final year under the present regulations, Red Bull have struggled to unlock performance in the same consistent manner as McLaren, though Verstappen's sheer talent has kept him in the hunt. 'The truth is, Max deserves all the success he's having,' Pérez added. 'He's an incredible driver, and very few people understand the way he works — he's exceptional.' While Verstappen's team-mates have all struggled, Pérez believes it is the absence of the renowned designer Newey that is causing Red Bull's biggest issues. Newey departed for Aston Martin as technical director, starting work there in March. Other key personnel such as Jonathan Wheatley, who is now the Sauber team principal, have also left. 'We had a great team. In the end, it slowly fell apart, but we really did have something special, during one of the most competitive eras in F1,' Pérez, part of a Red Bull team that won the constructors' crowns in 2022 and 2023, said. 'We didn't dominate an era like Mercedes, where they had a massive engine advantage. In our case, the performance gap was minimal, and we still built a powerhouse. When Adrian left — that's when the problems really started.' Red Bull have been approached for comment.
Associated Press
31-05-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Tsunoda under pressure after new Red Bull driver hits bottom of qualifying in Spain
MONTMELO, Spain (AP) — Yuki Tsunoda is under immense pressure to turn things around after the new Red Bull driver bottomed out in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday. Tsunoda will start his seventh race for Red Bull from ignominious last place. Only a massive drive on Sunday will get him back into the points. The Japanese driver was promoted from Red Bull's junior Racing Bulls team after the season was already underway. Red Bull made the stunning decision after only two rounds to drop Liam Lawson as the teammate of Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen. Lawson crashed out of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and qualified in last place for the Chinese Grand Prix and its sprint race. Now it is the 25-year-old Tsunoda who needs to show he's capable in the Red Bull seat after four previous seasons with the junior team. Tsunoda was at a loss to explain why he and his team can't get it right. 'Whatever I do, every lap, even like a long run was a good example, just whatever I do, nothing happens,' Tsunoda said. 'It doesn't really stack up … I don't know what it is, and I can't really have any answer to that.' Red Bull's second seat is, naturally, constantly compared to Verstappen, and has become something of a poisoned chalice. The experienced Sergio Pérez struggled as Verstappen's partner and his performance dipped so much last season that Red Bull lost to McLaren the constructors' title even though Verstappen won a fourth straight drivers' title. Tsunoda's best finish so far was ninth in Bahrain. He finished last week's Monaco GP in 17th. Verstappen will start Sunday's Spanish GP from third, behind pole sitter Oscar Piastri and his McLaren teammate Lando Norris. ___ AP auto racing:
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Explained: All about the mandatory two pit-stop rule at iconic Monaco Grand Prix
Image credit: Getty Images Formula One and its rules go hand in hand. To ensure driver safety, reduce the risk of accidents, and keep fans entertained, F1 regulations play a crucial role during every Grand Prix. F1 has many rules covering areas such as tyre changes, grid positions, driver attire, fuel usage, and much more. Among these, the pit-stop rule stands out as one of the most interesting in the Formula One circuit. With the Monaco Grand Prix just around the corner, all eyes are on a new rule: all drivers must complete two pit stops during the race. Two Pit Stop rule at Monaco Grand Prix This rule has sparked mixed reactions in the F1 paddock. Some are pleased with the change, while others have raised concerns. The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most iconic races on the Formula 1 calendar due to its rich history. This year, it will witness the implementation of the two pit-stop rule—and it's mandatory. F1 drivers will now be required to make at least two pit stops at the legendary Circuit de Monaco. Because overtaking is extremely difficult on the narrow streets of Monaco, F1 bosses have collectively decided to introduce this rule to add more strategy and excitement to the race. Drivers will need to use at least three different sets of tyres during the Grand Prix. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Trend Lets Indians Access Benefits Up to ₹2,00,00,000 India News Learn More Undo Even in case of a wet race, the two-pit-stop rule will still apply—it remains mandatory regardless of weather conditions. Weather forecast for Monaco Grand Prix The weather in Monaco is expected to be sunny with a cool breeze—ideal conditions for racing. The temperature on race day is predicted to be around 21°C, with no sign of rain. On Friday, during the practice sessions, the weather will also be sunny, with temperatures around 19°C. For Saturday's qualifying session, conditions will stay sunny, though there is an 11% chance of rain. Also Read: The Monaco Magic: What Makes the Monaco Grand Prix So Famous? | Formula One Past performances at Monaco Grand Prix In the past four editions of the Monaco Grand Prix, Red Bull has been dominant—Max Verstappen won in 2021 and 2023, while Sergio Pérez took victory in 2022. However, in 2024, it was Ferrari's Charles Leclerc who broke Red Bull's winning streak. The Monegasque driver claimed victory on his home track, putting Ferrari back on the top step of the podium. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
New York Times
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Pato O'Ward is the Indy 500's rock star: When F1's door closed, America's opened
Fans began shrieking inside a shopping mall in Mexico City. Given the number of people crowded inside the building, lines snaking down halls, one may think a pop star or a celebrity athlete, like now-former Formula One driver Sergio Pérez, was making an appearance during the 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix weekend. Instead, it was for the driver who drove during first practice for McLaren that weekend: Pato O'Ward, IndyCar's biggest star and a reserve driver for the Woking-based F1 team. Advertisement The Mexican driver was stuck in traffic and ran, with his bodyguard, two kilometers to the meet-and-greet event. As O'Ward passed lines of people outside, wrapping around the building, someone spotted him. As O'Ward hurried into the event, the fans formed a tunnel — and he described it as 'the loudest screams I've ever heard in my life.' He felt 'like a pop star.' And the 26-year-old arguably is, in some respect. O'Ward went from making his start with karting in Mexico and the United States to making the move across the Atlantic Ocean for a shot at single-seaters. His dream was F1, but initially being unable to secure enough points for his super license sent him back stateside, joining the junior ranks of the closest series to F1 — IndyCar. He's flourished in the category, growing his brand and talent while chasing the series's crown jewel: an Indy 500 victory. He's come close in recent years, narrowly missing out on the win in 2024. And after qualifying on the front row on Sunday, he's staring down a long race where anything can happen, hoping to change his luck and accomplish another goal. 'If you go through life trying to plan it, you're going to be very disappointed, because if I've learned something, life never goes to plan, and it works in very mysterious ways,' O'Ward told The Athletic in 2024. 'And when you're so focused on wanting to do one exact plan, you might miss some of the best opportunities that you have in front of you.' O'Ward describes himself as a foodie who prefers Whole Foods and avoids junk food. While he doesn't consider himself a chef, he claims to be 'a good cook,' with filet mignon as one of his specialties. His breakfast usually consists of eggs, and although he can make pasta, he doesn't prepare his own sauces. 'If you like super heavy sauces and stuff, I'm not your guy,' he explained. 'If you like simple, healthy, fresh, I'm your guy.' Advertisement The McLaren driver enjoys cheat meals after races (he's a big French fry fan), but his mantra is simple: 'I live by staying very active in order to be able to eat.' O'Ward is passionate about extreme sports and describes his motorsports journey as 'one of the weirdest ever because of how unorganized my rise to IndyCar was.' Born and raised in Mexico, O'Ward's passion for racing started as a hobby before he realized his talent. His family helped him chase the passion (and are still involved to this day), and he discovered in his early teens that he wanted to pursue motorsports. 'So I started really dedicating, ultimately, my whole life, and you basically give up your childhood and your adolescence in order to make this happen. And I wouldn't change it.' O'Ward grew up on dirt bikes and motorcycles, so it wasn't a shock for his parents when he got into driving go-karts after his grandfather gave him a go-kart when he was six. He won multiple championships during his karting years in Mexico (he was born in Monterrey) and the United States (his family moved to San Antonio, Texas, during his childhood). He jumped to cars at 13 years old, and by 2014, O'Ward was competing in European series, like the French F4 Championship. But he jumped around from there, competing in Japan at one point and in endurance racing. O'Ward was aiming for Formula One; however, what stood in his path was the elusive super license. Drivers must secure 40 points across three years to obtain an FIA super license, the mandatory qualification required to compete in Formula 1. 'I've always been a fan of trying so many different things and being open-minded on different types of race cars and activities… I've always liked to think outside of the box. And whenever I do something, I've never been known to do it halfway. I always do it with both feet in, and if it works out, it works out. If it doesn't work out, you always find a solution.' Advertisement His goal of competing in F1 went hand-in-hand with this mentality. 'Nothing's ever enough. And you're always striving for perfection, you're always striving for more and more and more, and how can I be better and how can I be better,' O'Ward explained. 'So for me, it was just easy, like, that's where I want to be. Why? Because Formula One is the top.' The first few years he spent watching F1 races as a child were when Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso battled against each other at McLaren, when O'Ward was around seven or eight. His first in-person race was in the paddock of the 2012 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. He saw Michael Schumacher and went to shake his hand, but the German driver walked past (and went on to win the race that weekend). 'That is the race that I was like, this is for me,' O'Ward said. 'I'm willing to give up everything in my life for this.' That F1 dream has yet to come to fruition. Without a super license, O'Ward headed to the U.S. — again. He began the Road to Indy ladder in 2014 and found success in the U.S., such as winning the 24 Hours of Daytona three years later. A pivotal moment for O'Ward's journey came in 2018 when he joined Andretti Autosport to compete in Indy NXT, the junior category for IndyCar. Of 17 races, the Mexican driver won nine, secured the drivers' championship (beating runner-up Colton Herta), and was named Rookie of the Year. He began searching for a way to take that next step up in his career by breaking into IndyCar. To O'Ward, IndyCar is likely the closest comparison to Formula One aside from Super Formula in Japan. It is among the most competitive series because of the tightness within car performance, and to win the title, drivers and teams need to come as close to perfection as possible at four different types of tracks — street courses, road tracks, super speedways, and ovals. 'Our cars look a bit more like Formula One cars. They're not based out of a streetcar,' O'Ward explained. 'They've got massive wings that produce downforce, and they're very competitive and physical cars. They do sound cooler than the Formula One cars, I can tell you that.' His big break came in late October 2019. After having a part-time drive that IndyCar season with Carlin, McLaren announced O'Ward would be part of its driver lineup for the 2020 campaign. 'As soon as it was presented, I grabbed it, and my goal was always in the mentality of as soon as I get this opportunity, they're not going to get me off of that car,' O'Ward said. 'And I feel like the team hasn't regretted that decision yet.' Advertisement Across five full-time seasons, he's secured five poles, seven wins, and 25 podium finishes, and he's finished in the top four of IndyCar's championship three times. O'Ward's set to stay with the papaya team at least a few more years, signing a multi-year contract extension last year. When reflecting on his relationship with McLaren, O'Ward expressed that both sides were going through the growing phases together, sharing how it's special to experience that with someone. 'I'm part of that building phase of what Arrow McLaren is now, and I've helped build and form the team,' O'Ward said in 2024. 'So whenever we do get that final goal that we've been searching for the last three or four years, that really will make it so much more special with the people that you've been able to work together with.' It's not a matter of whether O'Ward will win the Indy 500 or the championship one day. He's come close numerous times with the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing,' like narrowly missing out on the victory and finishing second in 2024. For him, it's a matter of when. Because while he did once have dreams of competing in F1, O'Ward has stood firm that his home is in IndyCar right now — but he's not shutting the door to future opportunities. After all, he became eligible for a super license in 2023 and is a reserve driver for McLaren's F1 team. 'IndyCar is my home, it has been my home, and it feels like home. But just like IndyCar felt a bit of like an alien five years ago, that's what Formula One is to me now,' he said before the 2024 Indy 500. 'I feel like I have a very special opportunity. I have an opportunity to win an Indy 500, to win an IndyCar championship. And then maybe the doors open to go to Formula One, and I have a shot at maybe possibly winning a world championship, or just being in Formula One and then growing there. 'That's all part of the process. But I feel like I'm in a very special position that I feel like a lot of people would kill to be in, and I want to take advantage of it.' This step in his career has paid dividends because he made the opportunity his own. O'Ward's popularity is booming. Ahead of the 2025 Indianapolis 500, he's on the cover of Indianapolis Monthly and cardboard cutouts of the Mexican driver fill the windows of shops around town. He has 839,000 followers on Instagram and more than 530,000 on TikTok, a post with Mahatma Rice receiving 1.5 million views as of May 16. Advertisement 'I keep getting tagged from people wanting to steal my Cardboard Patos,' O'Ward said. 'It's grown a lot, really, and last year's Indy 500 was a big step in that. I've definitely felt the difference.' O'Ward has allowed his fans to get to know the person behind the helmet through social media. He described it as 'unhinged and just raw,' allowing people to see how he's human. As he noted, this lifestyle of chasing a specific goal in a particular sport means there are highs and lows with the journey. He added, 'The way that I treat my social media is a bit like a diary, I'd say, and I like to have fun with it because what's the point of not having fun? Too much time gets dedicated to it in order for it not to be fun.' But as much as he's been opening his life and personality up to his fans (and in turn growing his brand), O'Ward's been searching for ways to invest back into his base. He's created different experiences for fans, such as giving away 300 tickets for this year's Indy 500 for those who spent $100 or more on his merchandise site. He doesn't just want fans to experience a race weekend but rather feel they're part of his team. The catch is that none of this is free for O'Ward. He's paying for the suites and the tickets, and two or three suites cost thousands of dollars. He said last year that 'a lot of the times, I definitely don't come out winning.' Texas Motor Speedway in 2023 was the one time he could recall where he didn't lose money, when he 'packed up three suites, gave away 1,000 grandstand tickets.' But he is hamstrung with the pricing, as it depends on what the race promoters are willing to sell the options to him. Off-track, he created Pato TV to help viewers watch the race for free, but he said this has since been shut down, as well as his follow-up attempt to air his onboard camera. He had reached over 50,000 subscribers in a year, and he was paying for the servers and the tools needed to run the service. 'I would say that's a bit of what my frustration has been in the last few years, really. Because, along with growing myself, I'm also making the series so much bigger than what it is in Mexico. 'Because, truthfully, no one watches IndyCar in Mexico before I came into the series, and I feel like when that happened, people started watching the series, watching the races, I would say, after my first win. That's when people started asking, and I kept getting emails and messages of people really wanting to see it, but people were struggling to see it, and that's really where it kind of sparked to get Pato TV up.' Advertisement The growth hasn't been enough, though, for IndyCar to race in Mexico. Per Indystar, IndyCar CEO Mark Miles recalled his conversations with Mexican race officials about the matter in the last few years: 'They said, 'If you want us to rent you the place, we'll rent you the place, but we don't want to partner because we think it's too early. You're not well enough known yet to be in Mexico City.' What that means is they have a view that we're not well enough known, nor is (O'Ward) yet, to populate an event at that track.' O'Ward had strong thoughts last fall, particularly after NASCAR landed a round in his home country while IndyCar did not. But after the dust settled, he said to The Athletic, '(The race) was a pretty dead idea the last few years, or at least that's what I've heard because there wasn't really interest in Mexico to bring IndyCar, to be honest. I think that's the biggest thing. I definitely don't want to blame IndyCar for that, because if there was so much interest, then we would be there already. We need a country that wants us to go.' The notion that O'Ward is not well-known enough, though, doesn't ring true within the IndyCar world. After winning in Milwaukee last fall, the rhetorical question of 'Pato who?' gained traction in the form of merchandise and even billboards. And it's still around heading into this weekend's race, in the form of a sticker on his helmet. He is IndyCar's biggest star. His popularity is only growing in Mexico. McLaren even announced in May — five months out — that he would have an FP1 outing during this year's Mexico City GP weekend in October. For context, he wasn't announced for last year's practice outing for the same race until Sept. 2024, roughly a month or so ahead of time. O'Ward's journey to this moment hasn't been easy. He's had to adjust and pivot, finding new ways to keep his dreams alive. But one thing he's not done is close a door. He may be IndyCar's rockstar in some people's eyes, but at his core, he's a motorsports fan through and through, a proper petrol head. He's living out his childhood dream in the American series right now and battling to become a champion and Indy 500 winner, a race that's caused him plenty of heartache in the past. But what's next? 'I want to be able to try out all of these different series in different race cars because that's what being a racing driver is for,' O'Ward said. 'We love cars. It doesn't matter if it's an IndyCar, doesn't matter if it's a Formula One, doesn't matter if it's a prototype. We love cars, and when you've accomplished your dreams, maybe in one of them, why wouldn't you take a challenge in something else? 'I've never been one to be scared of a challenge, and never been fazed by 'Oh, what if it doesn't work out?' Frickin send it, dude.' Top photo: Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
