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Pato O'Ward spent years working toward a Formula 1 seat through his reserve driver role at McLaren. That ambition is now definitively gone, and the 2026 regulations are the reason.
The Passion Was Always About the Cars
O'Ward was honest with FOX Deportes about what drove his Formula 1 ambition in the first place. "My motivation to reach Formula 1 had nothing to do with money or fame, but purely with how impressive those cars were to drive." That feeling, he said, has been replaced by something he does not recognise. "Over the years that has gradually changed. If I am honest, I think the new direction of Formula 1 is a wrong choice. The cars feel artificial and that takes away the appeal for me."
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"You Should Not Need to Press a Button to Overtake"
The element that bothers O'Ward most is what the energy deployment system has done to racing. "The idea that you need to press a button to pass someone is just wrong. This is not Mario Kart, this is motorsport." The language echoes almost exactly what Verstappen has been saying for months from inside Formula 1, and the fact that a driver watching from outside is reaching the same conclusion independently adds weight to the criticism.
His conclusion about his own future was unambiguous. "I have absolutely no desire to be part of that anymore. For me, IndyCar is currently the best place to race properly. Formula 1 these days feels more like an artificial show, and that no longer appeals to me."
The contrast with former IndyCar rival Colton Herta is notable. Herta is currently trying to build his superlicence points through Formula 2, working toward a Formula 1 seat for next season. The two men have assessed the same product and reached opposite conclusions about whether it is worth pursuing.
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