Pato O'Ward has spent five years as one of Formula 1's most persistent nearly-men, a McLaren reserve who kept testing, kept waiting and kept being asked about a grand prix seat that never came. This week he closed the door himself.
Speaking on Conor Daly's Speed Street podcast, the Arrow McLaren driver said he had formally asked the team to release him from his F1 obligations so he can commit fully to IndyCar, where he is contracted through 2027.
"There is nothing in me that is aching me to continue as a reserve in F1. I'm in a great place in IndyCar," O'Ward said. He went further on the reserve role itself: "I'm not excited to drive one, so I have politely asked to be fired from all my services in F1."
It is a striking turn for a driver who, not long ago, treated an F1 promotion as the goal that justified everything else. O'Ward framed the decision as one about time and priorities rather than sour grapes. "I want to be able to train more, I want to be able to eat better, and just prepare for 2027, which is going to come fast," he said, describing a schedule he has rarely controlled while juggling two championships on two continents.
He was careful to separate the reserve grind from the sport that made his name. "I'm grateful for the experiences and everything I've learned in the world of Formula 1," he said. But the ambition that once burned has cooled. "I don't need to be more famous. I don't need more money. I'm already in a position that I never thought I would reach when I was younger."
O'Ward also aimed a pointed jab at the direction of modern grand prix racing and its overtaking aids, arguing the driving no longer appealed to him. Pressing a button to complete a pass, he suggested, felt artificial rather than earned. "You don't want to be flipping a switch to say, 'Oh, I'm going to press it to pass him artificially.' It's not Mario Kart," he said.
His most recent F1 outing came in first practice at last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and McLaren had again named him among its 2026 reserves alongside reigning Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli. Stepping away leaves Fornaroli and the team's junior pool to cover those duties.
The timing is not accidental. McLaren has just reshaped its IndyCar future around O'Ward, confirming six-time champion Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist on multi-year deals to join him from 2027. With the team building a title contender around him, O'Ward's calculation is that his energy is better spent chasing a first IndyCar crown than sitting on the F1 sidelines.
The decision also underlines how differently the F1 dream now pulls at America's open-wheel stars. While O'Ward walks away, Andretti's Colton Herta is midway through a dedicated Formula 2 campaign built to earn a superlicence and a Cadillac seat, grinding through Friday practice runs in pursuit of the same prize O'Ward has just let go. One driver is running toward the F1 door; the other has decided he is happier on his own side of it.
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