Pato O’Ward takes Mexico City by storm, proving the IndyCar driver can carry series in home country

MEXICO CITY (AP) - One of Pato O’Ward’s sponsors announced an appearance for the IndyCar driver just 20 hours before the event at a Mexico City mall.

They told him to expect about 120 people. But when fans began lining up 12 hours early, it was clear they underestimated.

More than 3,000 screaming fans packed all three levels of the mall, with 1,000 or so more stuck outside. When the Arrow McLaren driver arrived at the mall, getting dropped off more than a mile from the entrance, the fans outside formed a tunnel that O’Ward had to run through, high-fiving as many as he could.

"Man, they really made me feel like a pop star," O’Ward said.

The fans carried posters that declared themselves "Patties" - like Taylor Swift fans are known as "Swifties" - and giant floating heads and were decked out in merchandise he sells from his own online store.

Among the most noticeable gear were the hats and shirts that said "Pato Who?" that were designed after IndyCar CEO Mark Miles said the reason why the series does not race in Mexico City was because event promoters told him several years ago that O’Ward was not as big a draw as Adrian Fernandez, a Mexican driver who competed for the series when it raced at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

O’Ward was so insulted that he leased a billboard near Indianapolis Motor Speedway that says "Pato Who?" and a second one is in the works. The brouhaha began when NASCAR in August announced that it would race in Mexico City in 2025 and O’Ward was incensed that IndyCar had been beaten to an event in his home country.

Caught by surprise by the backlash from O’Ward and his fellow IndyCar drivers, the Roger Penske-owned series immediately jump-started conversations with Mexico City promoters for a spot on the 2026 calendar.

And those promoters who once told IndyCar that O’Ward wasn’t a big enough star to carry the series into Mexico? They saw firsthand during the Formula 1 weekend that O’Ward might be second in Mexican popularity to Red Bull driver Sergio Perez, but his charisma and fan engagement is so spectacular that he potentially can grow into the country’s most revered race car driver.

Alejandro Soberón, president of Mexico City promoter CIE, noted O'Ward's "very strong following" in Mexico has indeed pushed along talks with IndyCar.

"We've been in discussions with Indy," Soberón said. "They want to come. They (raced) before in Mexico. We have set up conversations with IndyCar in January to think about 2026. Of course, Pato is a big factor in all of that.”

O’Ward is the reserve driver for McLaren’s F1 team and the organization has jumped into the debate. McLaren quickly announced after the NASCAR announcement that O’Ward would drive the first practice session of the Mexico City Grand Prix, and team boss Zak Brown wore a "Pato Who" hat on the pit stand during the one-hour Friday session.

The roar for O’Ward was deafening as he pulled onto the track for a session Brown declared "mega" in terms of O’Ward’s performance. He was tasked with helping prep the car for title contender Lando Norris, who wound up finishing second in Sunday’s race.

It was just a taste but it left O’Ward hungry for more.

"Turning laps in Mexico, in front of the home crowd, I haven't had a chance to do it in a professional level yet. This is the closest I've ever come to doing that,” O’Ward said. “I know this wasn't a race, but driving a Formula 1 car in front of the home crowd is really special."

McLaren on Monday teased that there’s more to come for O’Ward in Mexico City: He will be back in January for the Formula E race and will bring an Indy car for a possible demonstration run and potentially get on track with the Formula E team.

O’Ward, 25, has worked hard to build his fan base organically. His energetic and upbeat personality are magnetic and even when he’s mobbed by screaming fans he does his best to accommodate as many as possible.

"I think a lot of it comes from my family and how close we are; I am very much outgoing like my mother. I think that has made me realize that I need to give the fans more than just a 'Hey,' and keep walking. I need to spend the time with them,” O’Ward said. "My parents told me when I was maybe about 16 that the greatest investment you can ever make is in yourself."

The numbers support his investments, which include money-losing endeavors in which O’Ward has given away IndyCar tickets to fans who purchase items from his online store.

According to IndyCar, O’Ward’s official series merchandise has been the top-selling driver retail line the last three seasons and has grown tremendously year over year. His products sell consistently across all race markets, with his jersey regularly landing in the top 10 of purchases.

During the Indianapolis 500 last May, he outperformed NASCAR star Kyle Larson and had both the top-selling driver jersey and the top-selling diecast. He also finished second in the race - a factor that could keep him out of participating in any of the NASCAR events in Mexico City in June.

He has McLaren’s permission to compete in the second-tier Xfinity Series race that weekend but must return for the IndyCar race in St. Louis that is scheduled for Sunday, the same day as NASCAR’s top-level Cup race. O’Ward wants to do it but acknowledged he’d be less incentivized if Mexico City will be on the IndyCar 2026 schedule. There’s also early conversations about getting O’Ward with a NASCAR team for the 2026 Daytona 500.

But more than that, he wants badly to win both the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar championship. Although he hopes McLaren someday has an F1 seat for him - probably not soon because 24-year-old Norris and 23-year-old Oscar Piastri have long-term contracts - he has an IndyCar checklist he wants to complete.

"I want a Baby Borg, that’s what I want," said O’Ward, who finished second at Indy this year when he was passed by winner Josef Newgarden on the last lap. "And I want an IndyCar championship. I really want those things and those are my current priority. That’s where my focus will be next year."

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