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Former McLaren driver David Malukas has applauded Fox Sports for its recent commercial featuring Pato O'Ward, saying the level of the advertisement from the broadcaster just keeps getting better. O'Ward will begin his fifth year at Arrow McLaren this year while Malukas will start a new chapter with A.J Foyt.
O'Ward is the latest IndyCar star to feature in Fox Sports' pre-season commercials after the broadcaster previously released promos featuring veteran Josef Newgarden and defending champion Alex Palou. The aforementioned commercial has positioned the Mexican as 'the next face of IndyCar.'
The commercial follows a humorous tone and even makes jokes about O'Ward. It mentions all of the driver's seven victories but also takes a light-hearted jab at his record of not having won the Indy 500. It also features many more comical lines, such as calling O'Ward "the fastest 24-year-old on four-wheels" and "he doesn't have fans, he has groupies" among many other.
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Fox Sports posted the commercial on its Instagram page with the caption:
"👀 Take a look at the next face of @indycar. This is @patriciooward."
David Malukas shared his thoughts on the commericial and seemed to approve of the advertisement campaign. The 23-year-old commented under the post, saying:
"These just keep getting better.😤💯 Thank you Fox🙏"
The commercial is also expected to be aired during Sunday's Super Bowl, which is also being broadcast on Fox Sports.
Pato O'Ward is one of the most popular drivers in the IndyCar series and has a huge fanbase, making him a commercial goldmine for sponsors and advertisers alike.
He started all 17 races for Arrow McLaren in the 2024 season, winning on three occasions and finishing fifth in the standings.
"We'll put you into the F1 car": When Zak Brown promised Pato O'Ward an F1 test
McLaren team boss Zak Brown promised Pato O'Ward a test in an F1 car if he won an IndyCar race in the 2021 season. O'Ward joined the Red Bull junior programme in 2019 before returning to America.
Brown told the Mexican that he had the speed to race in F1 and he would give him a chance in the car, saying:
"You’ve already had a third, you’ve already had a second, so if you win one [race] — I talked to Andreas (Seidl) and we’ll put you into the F1 car at the end of the year after Abu Dhabi." [quote via racer.com]
Pato O'Ward won two races in the 2021 season and also finished third in the standings. He got his first chance to drive a Formula 1 car on November 14, 2021, when he took a McLaren MP4/13 for a demo run at Laguna Seca.
