McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown believes Pato O’Ward has a chance of gaining an FIA Super License and taking part in Formula 1 training this year. He also said that he would drive Daniel Ricciardo’s car during the tests in Barcelona, with which he won the race in Monza in 2021.
Q: It seems like you’re very busy these days…
Zach Brown: Yes, I had to travel! First I was at the IndyCar season finale at Laguna Seca, and before that I visited Los Angeles to meet McLaren’s great partners, then I flew to Tokyo, and after the Singapore Grand Prix I’m going back to the US to attend the Ryder Cup golf tournament. In general, we can say that life is spent on the road. But I love my job!
Question: At the end of the IndyCar season, Arrow McLaren driver Pato O’Ward took 4th place in the individual competition. Can he apply for a super license?
Zach Brown: We think so, even though the situation is not entirely clear. We are investigating now, but Pato has had a great run in IndyCar this year, has also driven our Formula 1 car and will be testing in Barcelona in October.
By the way, I can share the latest news: I will also be working with him on these tests! This will be the same car with which Daniel Ricciardo won the race at Monza in 2021. Unfortunately they won’t give me a super license!
Question: Will we see Pato driving in the MCL60 Formula 1 this year?
Zach Brown: I’m waiting for Andrea Stella’s final decision on exactly how he will proceed as he wishes, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Pato can do the training.
Q: Your team did a good job during the training in Singapore. Are you satisfied with the performance of the significantly updated car you brought to Singapore?
Zach Brown: Yes, the team has done a great job and from the early signs the new products are working well. However, it is not yet very clear which of the teams from the middle of the peloton looked the best, because the training results are very compact. I think we will be competitive this weekend, so we are looking forward to qualifying and the race.
Q: How did your team manage to prepare yet another large-scale series of updates under strict budget constraints?
Zach Brown: We spend money very wisely. I think there is now competition in terms of investment efficiency. If previously you could prepare as many new products as you wanted, and then choose the best ones, now you have to calculate everything in advance before you start spending a lot of money. Our team succeeded, we made the right decisions and spent the money productively.
Q: What goals do you set for the team in the final stages of the season?
Zach Brown: We have already been on the podium a few times, which has brought us a lot of joy, so we want to repeat our success. To do this, you need to get into the first rank based on the results of qualifications, and if any of your opponents make mistakes, you need to be ready to take advantage of them.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
