As raindrops began to fall on Thursday night of the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend, a group of two dozen McLaren <\/a>supercars gathered surreptitiously outside the wall at Turn 12. Lucky owners on hand joked about participating in the so-called Million Dollar Drive, an opportunity to chase last year\u2019s IndyCar Series runner-up, Pato O\u2019Ward, around the amazing F1 street course after Free Practice 2 wound down. McLaren offered me a chance to join in on the action, so I happily pulled on a helmet and jumped into one of my favorite supercars, a 750S, <\/a>for a quick stint of just two 3.853-mile laps.<\/p>\n I pulled up to Turn 12, very curious to experience the top speed and cornering traction on the Vegas strip. The few other F1 circuits \u2013\u00a0current and former \u2013\u00a0I\u2019d previously driven all typically boasted the most pristine tarmac surface of any tracks on earth. But Vegas only joined the F1 calendar in 2023, and the first year proved somewhat infamous after a manhole cover pulled loose from the racecars\u2019 downforce and smashed up Carlos Sainz\u2019s Ferrari.<\/p>\n Rumors of another manhole cover popping up even caused a brief delay in FP2 as I pitted with the McLarens. And as I pulled out, the rain only started to fall harder and harder. Negotiating the weather, the other McLaren drivers, trying to keep an eye on O\u2019Ward in his full-on racecar-spec Artura \u2013\u00a0all as the brilliant neon lights flared up on my increasingly raindrop-splattered windshield \u2013 required extreme focus.\u00a0<\/p>\n But the actual road surface at Vegas proved extremely forgiving, surprisingly grippy despite the wet, and smoother than smooth. Until, that is, I popped over a curb or two and upset the suspension of my 750S a bit.\u00a0<\/p>\n Still, ripping through gears before a crowd of F1 fans, the casinos flying by, the Sphere illuminating the night sky. No doubt, one of the drives of my life.<\/p>\n Meet McLaren\u2019s IndyCar Superstar: Pato O\u2019Ward<\/strong><\/p>\n Before heading out for such a memorable night, I caught up with O\u2019Ward, hoping to glean some words of wisdom about what to expect from the evening\u2019s festivities and the upcoming IndyCar season from one of the racing world\u2019s last remaining old-fashioned wild men, famed for his ninja-fast hands on the wheel, and a true fan favorite.<\/p>\n How does the street course for the Vegas F1 circuit compare to street courses for IndyCar like Long Beach, St. Petersburg and Toronto?<\/strong><\/p>\n Less bumpy for sure; it\u2019s smooth. I wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s the smoothest, because the F1 cars are porpoising quite a bit. But compared to an IndyCar street course, the F1 car\u2019s floor wouldn\u2019t survive at all.\u00a0But it won\u2019t be bumpy for you in a road car. You might feel some undulations, especially when you\u2019re going super-fast in the back stretch, but you won\u2019t feel, like, harsh bumps. I think you\u2019re going to really appreciate what the car can do speed-wise, if they let us wring its neck a little bit in the back stretch.<\/p>\n What about the transitions, with the curbs and the asphalt?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The curbs are aggressive. You\u2019ll definitely feel the curbs if you\u2019re riding on them. It\u2019s the same tarmac all the\u00a0way around, so there really isn\u2019t a concrete-to-asphalt transition; everything is the same. But I would say the track itself isn\u2019t as rough as other typical street courses, at least out of what I\u2019m used to.<\/p>\n Have you ever driven Monaco?<\/strong><\/p>\n I have not driven Monaco! But I bet it feels like you\u2019re going like 300, 400 miles an hour in a Formula 1 car.<\/p>\n Speaking of, I know you\u2019ve done some free practice sessions with McLaren F1. What\u2019s your relationship with the F1 team like these days?<\/strong><\/p>\n My full-time job\u2019s in IndyCar, and then my side hustle is traveling for free in the Formula 1 world and occasionally jumping in the F1 car. It\u2019s not too shabby at all. I get to watch, entertain, and sometimes drive [in free practice].<\/p>\n What are some of the ways that you think IndyCar is more exciting than F1?<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s a bit more chaos in the races, I would say. Weirdly, this year [2025] was dominated by one driver [Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing], but it usually never is. I mean, this hasn\u2019t been seen in 50 years. But, usually, you can never say who\u2019s gonna be on the podium. And I feel like in F1, you can get a good idea. So, I would say it\u2019s a bit more unpredictable and chaotic, and I feel like that draws attention.<\/p>\n But what F1\u2019s got that no one else has is just the sex appeal. The sexy status, like the invisible wall, everyone wants to be there just to be there. No one else has been able to obtain that level. Obviously, they\u2019re global; you\u2019ve got the biggest brands in the world with the most money. But it\u2019s turned into something like, \u2018Hey, I was there.\u2019 No matter how little you know about race cars.<\/p>\n For sure, I\u2019m seeing a lot of selfies being taken out here in Vegas. What are your hopes for IndyCar this coming season?<\/strong><\/p>\n I hope the series keeps getting bigger. I know FOX [IndyCar\u2019s new-for-2025 TV partner] has been a big thing for the series, and they\u2019ve got skin in the game. And, so, I think the trajectory it\u2019s taking is in the right way. But I think it\u2019s also pretty important for leadership to make the right calls on where we\u2019re racing, what we\u2019re going to do with the new car. We still want to be leading as a top series worldwide, even though it\u2019s mostly in America.<\/p>\n The cars can\u2019t be all spec. We still got to have different engines; we still have to have something worth developing for teams. There\u2019s got to be some differences in creativity, you know, so I really hope they don\u2019t take that away.<\/p>\n My personal goal is I want to finish every lap, which was my goal this year, but sadly, those dreams were crushed in Portland when I had an engine issue. And then I had the tire blowout in Nashville. That wasn\u2019t amazing. I just want to finish every lap, and I feel like in doing so, I\u2019ll be sitting pretty at the end of the year.<\/p>\n All right, most important question: We\u2019ve talked about your kickass car collection before. What are you driving most these days?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019ve got my head-turner, which is a [McLaren] 720S in Tokyo Cyan. It\u2019s like a baby blue. For my daily driver, I\u2019ve got an M3 Comp. I really like it, it\u2019s all-wheel drive, but you can do only rear, like drift mode, if you want.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve got the ultimate of luxury and in my opinion, it is the best in the garage: a Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost. I never thought I would enjoy such a car at such a young age, but it is the epitome of\u00a0not being rushed in the morning. That\u2019s what it feels like. I drive that thing almost every day I\u2019m home.\u00a0<\/p>\n And I\u2019ve got the loudest car, my Shelby Cobra kit car. I wish it was an original, but it\u2019s got a 5.0-liter Coyote, 485-horse, fuel-injected, side pipes, super loud. Then I\u2019ve got a Ferrari 458 Italia with a Novitec exhaust, Vorsteiner aero, the thing looks mean, looks badass.<\/p>\n That\u2019s what I\u2019ve got right now, I\u2019m pretty happy, that\u2019s a good collection. But at some point, I\u2019d love a [McLaren] W1.<\/a><\/p>\n Oh, I know who you can talk to about that\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/news.dupontregistry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/dR-McLaren_VegasF1_Laps-0677-800x533.jpg\")
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