One of many perks of a job like mine is the chance to spend time with race automobile drivers. They’re a pleasure to speak with, and every dialog leaves me strolling away with some new information that may assist form my protection of motorsport going ahead.
Each likelihood to talk with Pato O’Ward, nonetheless, takes that have to a brand new degree.
The IndyCar driver has change into a face of the game with good purpose. His infectious character, unimaginable charisma, and talent on the monitor have seen O’Ward change into a world sensation and one of many sport’s greater figures. Whereas the 2026 marketing campaign has seen some tough moments on the monitor for O’Ward, he enters this weekend’s OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland sitting fifth within the championship standings, and coming off a latest return to the highest step of the rostrum with a win at Mid-Ohio.
We caught up on Thursday night time for a fast chat forward of this weekend’s race in Portland, and whereas we did discuss racing, we talked about a lot extra.
And I walked away with a life lesson that actually hit residence.
Pato O’Ward 2026 IndyCar season
That was the phrase O’Ward used to explain his 2026 season thus far after we spoke on Thursday night time.
“Surprising and stunning in lots of methods, I’d say,” elaborated the Arrow McLaren driver. “Clearly, each season is totally different, proper? However what’s been so bizarre to me is that really, all of the tracks that at all times have been like my championship savers, I’d say like 85% of them have been fully the other of what’s anticipated.
“Just like the ovals this yr has been the worst yr I’ve ever had.”
Bommarito is one such instance. After ending on the rostrum on the race a yr in the past, O’Ward certified ninth for this yr’s installment, and completed down in P11.
“[The year] feels prefer it’s been glitching, in a approach.”
Nonetheless, there have been some excessive factors for hte driver who, as famous above, sits fifth within the championship standings. O’Ward returned to the highest step of the rostrum with a win at Mid-Ohio, and the driving force pointed to that because the excessive level of the season.
“It’s bought to be the Mid-Ohio win,” mentioned O’Ward once I requested him concerning the season’s excessive level. “Simply having the ability to get issues again on monitor the place we’ve been robust, but in addition having the ability to execute in all cylinders, proper?
“The pit stops, the technique, the automobile was nice, so, it was a pleasant weekend to place underneath our belt with like a full-on execution and that’s undoubtedly been the excessive level this yr.”
When requested concerning the hardest components of the season to this point, O’Ward pointed to a couple totally different street programs.
“I really feel like there’s there’s just a few races that I’d like to have again and I’d say street programs as a result of I do know we gained in Mid-Ohio, however then Highway America, we bought destroyed by the yellow and we have been legitimately in competition to win that race. After which the [Indianapolis road course] we bought taken out and we’d have additionally been in competition to win.
“After which Barber, we have been simply nowhere and, simply realizing what we do now, what was happening, it will have been good to catch the problem first or earlier.”
Pato O’Ward solutions reader questions
Each time I’m fortunate sufficient to talk with a driver, I ask readers to submit some questions. A few of the greatest interactions with a driver have come in consequence.
Thursday night time’s chat with O’Ward was no exception, as we bought to speak about meals, and life itself.
The primary query centered on the brand-new McLaren Racing Heart, a brand new state-of-the-art facility opened by Arrow McLaren in Indianapolis forward of the 2026 season. One expensive reader wished to know the way the power made a distinction in O’Ward’s preparation this season.
He in contrast it to transferring from a starter residence, into the top-floor penthouse.
“The vibe of it’s fully totally different,” started O’Ward.
“I imply, the place we have been, we have been at a degree one starter house, and we took the elevator to the penthouse. It’s an enormous distinction in simply what it feels prefer to be there. I’m assuming it’s fully totally different for all the blokes and gals as properly, working there. There’s extra space, and man, you get there, and also you’re like ‘[T]his is so cool that I’m part of this, proper?’
“And I feel in the end that simply fuels you to be hungrier for achievement, and for eager to make issues come out the appropriate approach and simply giving just a little little bit of the additional, the additional push that may go a great distance.”
One other reader wished to know O’Ward’s favourite IndyCar race, with the caveat that he couldn’t choose the Indianapolis 500.
For not the primary time throughout our dialog, and never for the final, O’Ward’s eyes lit up.
“Dude, Arlington was Badass. Arlington was superior,” mentioned the driving force concerning the inaugural Java Home Grand Prix of Arlington, a brand new road race in Arlington, Texas.
“Oh my God, like Arlington … I’m so excited to return there as a result of the folks that have been there have been so excited for this new occasion. Clearly, the turnout regarded phenomenal on TV. It regarded nice, even for us within the automobile. It, it was superior. So, Arlington undoubtedly takes that one for me.”
O’Ward’s eyes lit up on the subsequent reader query, which centered on the race expertise away from the monitor. What cease on the schedule has the very best native meals, or restaurant, that he seems ahead to every yr?
The motive force’s eyes lit up once more.
“All proper, so Saint Pete. Saint Pete’s bought good ones. Phoenix has bought good ones as properly.”
O’Ward then returned to Arlington.
“The Dallas scene is insane. Like, you discover all the things you need in Dallas.
“And I could be just a little bit biased as a result of I really like Texas, and I, you recognize, I spend lots of time there.
“Really, in an ideal world, I’d most likely be dwelling in Dallas. That’s most likely the place I’d choose to maneuver, perhaps I do within the close to future, however I do love Dallas and I gotta go along with that one, man.
“It’s simply, there’s an excessive amount of at your disposal of no matter meals you wanna, wanna search for, and it’s only a cool metropolis.”
The ultimate query handled a bit of stories O’Ward made this season, when he requested to be launched from his Formulation 1 duties as a reserve driver for McLaren’s F1 workforce, and deal with IndyCar. I requested O’Ward how that call took place, and the way it reframed his deal with IndyCar for 2026 and past.
A lesson about life itself adopted.
“I feel it’s most likely been a little bit of a mixture of, you recognize, perhaps maturing just a little bit and studying that the one dwelling your life is your self, and you should maximize it as a lot as you’ll be able to, and also you additionally have to do what’s good in your soul. And by that, I imply, you gotta do what you wanna do,” started O’Ward.
“You gotta be the place you might be, the place you might be joyful. The place you see a future the place you might be excited to come back again to work each single yr and maintain going, proper?
“Like for me, IndyCar represents all of that. I really like the path that the sequence is occurring, and I do assume it’s solely gonna get higher.
“I really like being part of it.”
O’Ward then turned to life right here in the USA.
“You already know, I’ve been challenged in America. I’ve been used to dwelling in America, and I really like that about my life, I wouldn’t change it for something. I don’t wanna transfer wherever else.
“I’m near residence in Mexico, and I do assume there’s a lot potential and a lot development that may nonetheless occur, that need to be part of that.
He then concended that the choice was “powerful,” because it meant closing the door on a dream.
“So it was a tricky resolution since you’re principally, like, you’re going towards your dream, proper?
“The dream that in the end opened the doorways to this case, and to being right here now, however it was an easy resolution for me to be like, you recognize, ‘[w]hat makes me joyful and what do I wanna do?’
“And, you recognize, I maintain getting taken to the identical resolution each single time.”
Pato O’Ward on the Grand Prix of Portland
O’Ward and the remainder of the IndyCar grid is in Portland this weekend, for the OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland.
It’s a race the place O’Ward has loved success, not less than throughout qualifying, in addition to some success early in his profession within the Indy Lights sequence. Final yr he put his Arrow McLaren on the entrance row, qualifying second, and he began first when pole-sitter and teammate Christian Lundgaard took a grid penalty for an unapproved engine change. O’Ward entered that race sitting second within the championship standings behind Alex Palou, needing one thing particular to maintain the strain on the chief.
However an electronics malfunction referred to as O’Ward into the pits early within the race, and he completed down in P25. A 3rd-place end from Palou clinched one other title for the Chip Ganassi driver.
Can O’Ward lastly style race success in Portland this weekend?
“I’ve but to have this nice IndyCar outcome right here for me,” started O’Ward. “I’ve had good qualifying right here.
“I feel final yr is the one which’s most recent on my thoughts. And we’ve had tempo, however we haven’t had that, like, breakthrough Portland IndyCar weekend like I had the primary time I used to be right here in an Indy Lights automobile; That was a really cool weekend for me.
“I ended up successful the championship, successful each races, and it’s additionally a monitor that I actually, I really take pleasure in driving.
“It’s very old-fashioned.
”So, I’d love to interrupt by that and get ourselves, on the rostrum this weekend.
“That’d be, that’d be implausible.”
O’Ward begins that pursuit later right now with the primary observe session forward of the OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland.
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