Surprise name drives alongside Pato O’Ward in latest McLaren F1 test

Zak Brown was in the McLaren car for a runout at Silverstone.

McLaren were testing the chops of a potential driver at Silverstone but while his F1 chances may be slim, CEO Zak Brown seemed to enjoy it all the same.

Brown is known to be a big racer and is never one to miss an opportunity to get behind the wheel. The latest chance came at Silverstone with IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward watching on as the McLaren boss was put through his paces.

Zak Brown gets behind the McLaren wheel at Silverstone

The team took the MCL35M (2021) and MCL36 (2022) to Silverstone in order to give O’Ward some more laps behind the wheel of an F1 car but it seems CEO Brown could not help but join in.

O’Ward was filmed watching on as Brown drove down the straight into Copse and had some tips for his boss.

“I’m trying to see if Zak is lifting less and less in this corner because it’s supposed to be flat,” O’Ward said with a smile.

“Zak was telling me how good he was doing in the simulator. In the simulator, it feels like a video game, and then you jump in a car and the car can do it, but you need to wrap your head around it, trust it.”

O’Ward also seemed impressed by how willing Brown was to get behind the wheel.

“It’s cool that your boss realises what you go through every weekend,” O’Ward, who came fifth in this year’s season of IndyCar

“He’s such a racer Zak, he’s just like the biggest fan of racing. He loves it.”

Zak’s biggest fan. ⬇️ @PatricioOWard

A great couple of days at Silverstone in the MCL35M and MCL36. #McLaren #F1 pic.twitter.com/4DFTeQWqLz

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) September 27, 2024

While Brown had his fun, the days at Silverstone were another chance for O’Ward to get behind the wheel and while an F1 future at McLaren seems unlikely, it is all valuable experience for the 25-year-old.

He told PlanetF1.com in November that these tests could give him an edge over other candidates.

“I grew up with Formula 1 as my dream, it will still remain my dream until the day that I die,” he said. “Because that just doesn’t go away.

“If something that is so powerful in you, that ultimately is what led me to IndyCar, you can’t just turn that off.

More from PlanetF1.com on Pato O’Ward

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Loud engines, South American races: How Pato O’Ward believes IndyCar can challenge Formula 1

“And for me, all I can do is make sure that when an opportunity does come about my name is the only one that is mentioned and that’s really as much as I can do. I’m going to keep getting better and in every way that I can.

“Obviously I would love to be in Formula 1 because I know I’d be able to do what I’m doing in IndyCar. I know I’m more than capable to do it and Formula 1 [even though] it’s another series in another race car, I’ve always been confident in my abilities.

“I’ve no doubt that I would just do me, get used to it and I know I’d be able to deliver and to perform. It really is just about having that opportunity to get laps under your belt. You can’t expect to just jump into a Formula 1 car and look like a hero. No, that doesn’t exist, you need laps to get the reins of it and understand it.”

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