McLaren star issues update on rumoured F1 driver transfer

McLaren star Pato O'Ward has provided an update over his chances of signing a full-time contract with an F1 team.

The 26-year-old currently races for Arrow McLaren in the IndyCar racing series and after 12 rounds of the 2025 campaign, sits second behind Alex Palou in the championship.

O'Ward has also served as a McLaren F1 test driver, having officially joined the papaya squad's reserve pool in 2024.

O'Ward most recently took to the track for the F1 team during last year's FP1 session at the Mexican Grand Prix, sitting in for British star Lando Norris.

In the past, the Mexican racer admitted he still harbours hopes of securing a full-time drive in the pinnacle of motorsport, although it doesn't appear as though the chance will be coming next year when Cadillac join the grid.

Speaking to ESPN Mexico, O’Ward was asked whether there had been any truth to the rumours of him being a candidate for one of the two Cadillac F1 seats in 2026, to which he replied: "That one was pure smoke... pure social media.

"I think that rumour of Cadillac, of me going to Cadillac, was like the rumour of Fernando Alonso hanging out with Taylor Swift," he quipped, referring to a social media rumour from last season.

Has Pato O'Ward been ruled out of Cadillac F1 seat?

Though the papaya IndyCar star may have lost hope of securing a full-time drive with the American outfit, he hasn't officially been ruled out by the new F1 team.

Next season, Cadillac will become the 11th team on the F1 grid and as a result, open up two opportunities for a racing star to sign a full-time contract for 2026, and potentially beyond.

As the General Motors-backed squad prepares for their first season in the sport, they are eyeing up a large pool of candidates to complete their debut driver duo.

Cadillac are yet to make an official announcement over who they have decided to sign, but team principal Graeme Lowdon recently admitted his F1 squad had a very long list of candidates to assess.

Whilst that means that O'Ward may still be in with a chance of a shot at F1, that chance is extremely thin given ex-F1 drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez have been tipped as the favourites due to their wealth of experience that could prove invaluable to the team as they navigate the sport.

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