McLaren Star Unveils ‘Political’ Roadblock to F1 Dream!
McLaren IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward has revealed that he was on the brink of joining Formula 1 in 2019, having signed a contract with Red Bull to race for its sister team, Toro Rosso. However, the FIA intervened and blocked his path after initially approving his super licence.
O’Ward, who was part of Red Bull’s junior team in 2019, was linked with a move to F1 after being granted a super licence by F1 race director Charlie Whiting, who tragically passed away just before the season began. Speaking on the Creativo podcast, O’Ward explained, “Helmut Marko actually signed me. I signed a Formula 1 contract to enter the Toro Rosso seat at the end of 2019.”
However, following Whiting’s death, the FIA reversed the decision and denied O’Ward’s super licence. The driver believes this decision was influenced by political factors, stating, “They didn’t want to give me the licence because I was going to take the space from a Frenchman,” likely referring to Pierre Gasly, who had been demoted back to Toro Rosso during the 2019 season.
O’Ward then sought to gain the necessary points by racing in Japan’s Super Formula, but faced challenges as the series did not offer full points. The FIA also rejected his Indy Lights championship points from 2018 due to the small field size. As a result, O’Ward’s hopes of racing in F1 with Red Bull were dashed, and he had to part ways with the team.
Despite this setback, O’Ward continued his motorsport career in IndyCar with McLaren and has since taken part in multiple F1 free practice sessions, keeping his F1 aspirations alive.
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