Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward will take the wheel of the McLaren for the Abu Dhabi tests
Both drivers will take the wheel of the McLaren this end of season during free practice sessions.
One in Austin, the other in Abu Dhabi. Alex Palou will replace Daniel Ricciardo during the first free practice session at the United States Grand Prix. Pato O’Ward, on the other hand, will drive the orange car in the final race of the year in Abu Dhabi.
This is done, as is the case for Théo Pourchaire, as part of the opportunities given to young drivers. Recently, they were able to get behind the wheel of last season’s single-seaters.
We are delighted to give Alex and Pato the opportunity to participate in free practice sessions with McLaren. With Alex’s great success in Indycar, it will be useful for the team to have his feedback on the car and for us to continue evaluating him as a driver, assures Andreas Seidl, the team principal of the Woking-based team.
Alex and Pato have impressed with their recent tests in Barcelona and Austria, and we are thrilled to offer them the experience behind the wheel of the MCL36. This is an excellent opportunity for them to showcase their skills on the global stage of Formula 1, where the focus will be on team preparation for race weekend, rather than ultimate lap times.
With these new releases, they will fulfill the quota of mandatory sessions as required by the regulations.
