IndyCar CEO makes feelings known about Pato O'Ward’s gloomy prediction of Mexico City race

Pato O'Ward expressed displeasure with IndyCar after NASCAR trumped it to secure a race in his home country, Mexico. In August 2024, NASCAR announced Mexico City as the Cup Series' first points-paying international race for 2025.

O'Ward, whose popularity in Mexico is through the roof, had been urging IndyCar since 2021 to add a Mexico City race to the calendar. The 25-year-old claimed that Mexico City would now have no room for another motorsport to be put on display. He said, via AP News:

"They beat us to the cake. I strongly believe that we’re not only late, but I strongly believe that there isn’t more room in Mexico City. You need to understand that these people save up their money to go to these events."

IndyCar CEO Mark Miles also addressed this take on NASCAR beating IndyCar to a Mexico City race in the latest episode of the Pit Pass Indy podcast hosted by Bruce Martin. He said:

"I didn't even think about it that way. We're working on having a race in Mexico City. I think it's a great market. I think it'll be a stupendous IndyCar market if and when we can get a race there. And it's not a race with NASCAR."

However, Miles did acknowledge that Pato O'Ward's ask for swift action was valid.

"I'm saying that I can understand sooner is better. If we think we're gonna do something well, to get it started. So we're working hard on that. I think if and when we do get to the place where we can announce and have an event in Mexico City, it'll blow people away. Pato O'Ward’s popularity is crazy and growing, and he's doing some smart things to help that be the case," he added.

Miles previously revealed that their attempts to negotiate for an IndyCar race at Mexico City had failed because the race promoters of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit doubted the series' popularity and ability to fill the stands.

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IndyCar champs Alex Palou and Scott Dixon back Pato O'Ward's stance

AUTO: AUG 15 NTT IndyCar Series Bommarito Automotive Group 500 - Source: Getty

IndyCar last raced in Mexico in 2007, when the CART season finale was held there. The series' last international race was in 2013 in Brazil - the Sao Paulo Indy 300. Though Mark Miles recently spoke about a potential race in Australia in the distant future, IndyCar has been limited to the USA and Canada.

Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward criticizing IndyCar for missing the Mexico City opportunity was just one expression of what many in the paddock felt. Defending three-time champ Alex Palou too didn't mince his words.

"It’s like, everybody is overtaking us, like left, right, left, right," he said, via NBC Sports. "One hundred percent, we should have been (in Mexico City)."

Six-time champ Scott Dixon, IndyCar's most successful driver ever, also termed it a "massive miss" for the sport. In the days to come after NASCAR's announcement, Pato O'Ward and Mark Miles exchanged opposing stances, and the famous 'Pato Who?' meme was born.

2024 was a decent year for the No. 5 Chevrolet driver. He finished fifth in the standings with a series-high three victories in the season.