IndyCar sensation Pato O’Ward makes his return to the F1 paddock on the Mexican Grand Prix, driving for McLaren, however team-mate Lando Norris’ stance on the reverse swap has modified.
Pato O’Ward will make his fourth Formulation One free follow session this weekend in entrance of his adoring residence crowd on the Mexican Grand Prix. Alongside him within the McLaren storage will probably be Lando Norris, however the Brit’s stance on going the other method and making an attempt out IndyCar has modified over time.
Fernando Alonso is the one driver on the present grid to have competed in each F1 and IndyCar, having made three makes an attempt on the Indianapolis 500 with McLaren in 2017, 2019, and 2020. Nonetheless, many stars have gone the opposite method, becoming a member of North America’s premier open-wheel collection after leaving the grid.
Many drivers, together with reigning world champion Max Verstappen and Norris’ team-mate, Oscar Piastri, have made it clear that they haven’t any intention of trying the Indy 500, typically because of the risks related to the race on the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Norris, nevertheless, confirmed loads of curiosity early in his F1 profession. “I watch it for certain,” he stated in 2021. “Usually, it’s the Monaco weekend. I watch it; I watch as lots of the IndyCar races as I can.
“In the mean time, it’s not one thing I need to go and do proper now; I’d reasonably simply give attention to [F1], but it surely’s one thing to consider sooner or later. I might like to do it in some unspecified time in the future, however not for the time being.”
The Bristol-born driver expressed his perception that the Indy 500 is a harder race to win than the Monaco Grand Prix, and comes with extra status than F1’s crown jewel. “Indy, it’s important to do one thing extra unbelievable to win together with your technique, your gas, and issues like that. Monaco just isn’t a lot, however what makes it particular is the historical past of Monaco.
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“I’m not as a lot of a fan of the historical past of the game, however you simply need to win as a result of it’s Monaco. I feel Indy’s extra like a prestigious occasion that individuals look ahead to as a result of it’s so distinctive and so completely different to anything you usually see. So it’s one thing I’d love to do.”
Norris’ curiosity was confirmed by Zak Brown in 2022. “Lando’s talked about he’d love to do the Indy 500 in the future,” the McLaren Racing CEO confirmed. “And naturally, one in all my first days on the job was bringing over Fernando Alonso to do the Indy 500, which was such an superior expertise for everyone.
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“So yeah, you recognize, the calendars are fairly loopy nowadays, however I feel racing drivers wish to drive racing automobiles and, yeah, I might see that occuring.”
Extra just lately, although, Norris’ stance has modified. After congratulating 2025 pole-winner Robert Shwartzman earlier this 12 months, he added: “However it’s one thing I am going to by no means do. I can say it proper now, I am not doing it. [I] simply have little interest in doing it. Not my factor, it isn’t what I take pleasure in, despite the fact that I’ve achieved it on the sim and it was fairly enjoyable.”
