The Tequila, Boxing and Adrenaline Driver Who Could Become the First Mexican IndyCar Champion in Decades

PATO O’WARD: THE MEXICAN PRIDE REVOLUTIONISING INDYCAR

Few drivers in modern North American motorsport embody the idea of representing an entire country as authentically as Patricio O’Ward Junco. At every IndyCar Series race, from the streets of Long Beach to the oval of Indianapolis, the grandstands fill with green, white and red flags. His supporters do not only buy tickets to watch a fast driver. They come to watch one of their own. And in North American motorsport, where Mexico has gone two decades without consistent IndyCar representation, that makes him something extraordinary.

Patricio “Pato” O’Ward Junco was born on May 6, 1999, in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. His parents are Patricio O’Ward and Elba Junco. He grew up between Monterrey and San Antonio, Texas, where he attended high school, and that dual identity between Mexico and the United States has defined who he is both inside and outside the car. His surname O’Ward has Irish origins through his great-grandfather’s lineage, but Pato has no ambiguity about his identity: in his own words, he considers himself “full-blown Mexican.”

The story of his surname, the geographical duality of his childhood and his early karting years are the prelude to a career that began at six years old when he first climbed into a kart in 2005. Through karting until 2012, O’Ward competed on circuits across Mexico and the United States with the discipline of someone who knows from an early age that this is his path. In 2013 he made the jump to single-seaters competing in LATAM Fórmula 2000, Formula Renault 1.6 NEC and Pacific F2000. In 2014 he crossed the Atlantic to contest the French F4 Championship his only foray into European motorsport.

The return to the United States was decisive. He began climbing the “Road to Indy”, the development ladder that leads to the IndyCar Series. In 2016, at 17 years old, he won the Pro Mazda Championship, becoming its youngest champion ever. That same year, also at 17, he won the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in the Prototype Challenge class of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship alongside James French the youngest driver ever to win both races. An achievement few noticed at the time, but one that defined Pato’s ability to perform under maximum pressure.

In 2018 he took the final step on the Road to Indy by winning the Indy Lights championship in a dominant campaign. That title guaranteed a seat in the IndyCar Series, and his debut at the end of the season with Harding Racing at Sonoma Raceway, where he qualified fifth and finished ninth, was more than promising.

The path to a permanent IndyCar seat was not smooth. Budget problems with Harding Steinbrenner Racing in 2019 left him without a guaranteed seat and he had to contest 13 races with Carlin in suboptimal conditions. But Arrow McLaren SP saw him, wanted him and signed him for 2020, beginning the partnership that has defined his career. The McLaren organisation’s backing was transformative: with the right resources and infrastructure, O’Ward flourished.

In 2021 he took his first IndyCar victory at Texas Motor Speedway with a spectacular last-lap move, becoming the first Mexican driver to win an IndyCar race since Adrián Fernández at Fontana in 2004. The moment was historic and O’Ward’s emotional reaction said everything. He also finished third in the championship that year. In 2022 he finished fourth in the championship and second at the Indianapolis 500 the biggest race in American motorsport. In 2023 he was fourth again. In 2024 he claimed three victories and finished fifth.

The 2025 season was possibly the most complete of his career to that point: he finished championship runner-up with six podiums and victories at Iowa and Toronto. It was also the year his emotional connection with the paddock reached new levels: every race bringing his multitude of Mexican supporters, his statements about the importance of representing his country, and the hope that one day IndyCar will return to race in Mexico.

In 2026, in his ninth IndyCar Series season and sixth with Arrow McLaren, he continues as the No. 5 blue and orange car that Mexican fans follow with devotion. At Long Beach, early in the 2026 season, he finished fifth in a race won by Alex Palou.

Beyond IndyCar, Pato is McLaren’s official Formula 1 reserve driver, having obtained his FIA superlicense in 2023. He has participated in F1 free practice sessions and knows the inside of top-category cars well. The possibility that he might one day step up to Formula 1 remains part of the universe of options for one of North American motorsport’s most complete drivers.

Away from the car, Pato O’Ward is one of the most charismatic personalities in the entire IndyCar paddock. He boxes regularly, is passionate about cooking and describes his life philosophy with a phrase that sums everything up: “I’m a fan of anything that has to do with adrenaline cars, airplanes, motorcycles. My drink of choice is tequila. I like living life on the edge.” He also enthusiastically recommends authentic Mexican street tacos as “the best food in the world.”

Do you think Pato O’Ward has the talent, McLaren backing and motivation needed to become the first Mexican IndyCar Series champion in the modern history of the championship?

IMPORTANT QUOTES AND CURIOSITIES
“I am a fan of everything related to adrenaline: cars, planes, motorcycles. My favorite drink is tequila. I like to live on the edge.” — Pato O’Ward
“There are Mexican flags, Mexican people screaming, singing. That is very special. I love seeing it. It makes me feel proud that they wear my shirt.” — Pato O’Ward “The doors that open for you are probably a little harder [being Mexican]. But I am proud of where I come from.” — Pato O’Ward

CURIOSITIES

• He was born on May 6, 1999, in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico.
• His surname O’Ward has Irish origins through his paternal great-grandfather, but he considers himself “Mexican through and through.”
• He grew up between Monterrey and San Antonio, Texas.
• At 17 years old he won the Pro Mazda Championship and the 24 Hours of Daytona in the same year, 2016.
• He was the first Mexican to win an IndyCar race since Adrián Fernández in 2004.
• He regularly practices boxing as part of his physical training.
• He has been an official reserve driver for McLaren F1 since 2023, when he obtained his superlicense.
• He has finished second twice at the Indianapolis 500 (2022 and 2024).
• He recommends Mexican street tacos as “the best food in the world.”
• His salary with Arrow McLaren for 2026 is 4.2 million dollars.

Sources: IndyCar Official indycar.com, McLaren Official mclaren.com, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org, Fox Sports foxsports.com, Fox 59 fox59.com, Sportskeeda sportskeeda.com, Wikipedia Spanish es.wikipedia.org, Tournaments.com tournaments.com, Autopedia automobile.fandom.com