Pato O'Ward shows off his carbon fiber-laced McLaren in IG story

IndyCar driver Pato O'Ward shared a story of his McLaren on Instagram on December 28, 2024. O'Ward drives for Arrow McLaren in the IndyCar series and is also the reserve driver for McLaren's F1 team. The Mexican driver uploaded an aesthetically pleasing photo of his McLaren 720S interior as he flaunted the carbon fiber inside.

The picture showcased the car's cabin and carbon fiber was visible as far as the eye could see. The steering wheel, the door sill, and the bucket seats were all made of carbon fiber. Miami Blue highlights could also be seen around the Infotainment system and on the doors. O'Ward's name was engraved into the door sill of the car.

Image credits: Instagram/@patriciooward

The car showcased by Pato O'Ward in the story is his custom McLaren 720S. All McLaren drivers get the opportunity to build a custom one-off car. The Arrow McLaren driver got delivery of his 720S in 2023. F1 driver Lando Norris got delivery of his bespoke McLaren 765 LT in violet earlier this year.

Pato O'Ward uploaded the picture of the car on May 17, 2023, on Twitter as he took delivery. The tweet read,

“Welcome home🩵 #FondoSpecial. PO X 720s @McLarenAuto”

The Mexican’s factory customized 720S features a Miami Blue paint scheme. The car has a few special touches like O'Ward's racing No.5 written on the door, his name on the sills, and “Fondo!” engraved on the accelerator pedal. Pato O'Ward's McLaren also has a clear carbon fiber hood with a strip of Miami Blue painted down the middle.

The 2023 McLaren 720S comes with a Twin Turbo 4.0L V8 that produces 710 horsepower and is mated to a dual-clutch transmission. The price of a 720S couple starts from $310,000 and goes up to $320,000 for the performance coupe version. The car weighs 2937 lbs as the carbon fiber tub helps keep the weight down.

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Pato O'Ward shared why the F1 seat is a distant dream

Pato O'Ward drove the McLaren MCL38 at the Mexican GP during the FP1 session. The Mexican plans on joining F1. However, both the seats at McLaren aren't going to be available in the near future with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri signing long-term contracts. A seat elsewhere on a smaller team would most likely require O'Ward to bring in sponsorship money.

Formula 1 Testing In Abu Dhabi - Source: Getty

Pato O'Ward detailed this struggle as he said, (via mediatiempo.com)

“Formula 1 is out of my hands. Every time I get in the car, the team understands and knows that I am capable of giving them the results that I have given them in IndyCar, the same will be true in Formula 1. At the end of the day it is still a car with four wheels. It is a world with a lot of politics. I don't have 30 million dollars that I can offer to get a seat. I understand that there is a point where many teams focus on that" (Translated from Spanish).

After Alex Palou refused to fulfill the McLaren IndyCar contract and decided to re-sign with Chip Ganassi, Pato O'Ward was put in the role meant for the Spaniard. Hence, the Mexican participates full-time in the IndyCar series but is also the test driver for the F1 team. O'Ward was spotted at several F1 races this season including the Las Vegas GP and the Qatar GP.