Patricio O’Ward and Alex Palou have once again taken the wheel of the McLaren F1
Indycar drivers Alex Palou and Patricio O'Ward were both able to participate in a private testing session at the Red Bull Ring circuit behind the wheel of the McLaren MCL35M.
It is the second time in one month that Indycar drivers Palou and O’Ward are taking part in Formula 1 tests with McLaren. While Patricio O’Ward will be driving in Indycar this year for a McLaren-branded team, this is not the case for Palou, who left the McLaren fold in 2022 to join Chip Ganassi.
The two Indycar drivers had already conducted a test at the Barcelona circuit on September 16th and 17th. As part of its testing program, McLaren has offered them the opportunity to return to the Austrian circuit this time.
The Indycar drivers are becoming increasingly interesting to Formula 1 teams, especially because F1 is expanding more and more in the United States, the birthplace of the Indycar series. The potential arrival of Colton Herta at McLaren or AlphaTauri for next season was another proof of this, if the FIA had allowed him to obtain the super license.
Palou and O’Ward drove the 2021 F1 MCL35M with previous technical regulations. No further testing is currently planned by McLaren for these two drivers this season.
Note that O’Ward has a contract with McLaren SP Racing in Indycar until the end of 2025.
