As raindrops began to fall on the Thursday evening of the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend, a group of two dozen McLaren supercars secretly gathered in front of the Turn 12 wall. The happy owners joked about taking part in the so-called Million Dollar Drive, an opportunity to chase Pato O’Ward, last year’s IndyCar Series runner-up, around the fantastic F1 road course after the end of Free Practice 2. McLaren offered me the chance to get in on the action, so I happily donned a helmet and hopped in one of my favorite supercars, a 750S, for a quick lap of just two 3.853-mile laps.
I stopped before Turn 12 and was very curious to experience the top speed and cornering traction on the Las Vegas Strip. The few other F1 tracks – current and former – that I have driven before have all typically had the most pristine asphalt surface of any track in the world. But Vegas didn’t join the F1 calendar until 2023, and the first year proved somewhat infamous after a manhole cover came loose from the race cars’ downforce and smashed Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari.
Rumors of another manhole cover appearing even led to a brief delay in the second practice session when I pitted with the McLaren. And as I drove off, the rain started falling harder and harder. Negotiating the weather, the other McLaren drivers, and trying to keep an eye on O’Ward in his fully equipped, race car-equipped Artura – all while the bright neon lights flickered on my increasingly raindrop-spattered windshield – required utmost concentration.
But the actual road surface in Vegas proved extremely forgiving, surprisingly grippy despite the wet, and smoother than smooth. Until I hit a curb or two and messed up my 750S’s suspension a bit.
Still I raced through the corridors in front of a crowd of F1 fans, the casinos flew by, the sphere lit up the night sky. Undoubtedly one of the driving forces of my life.
Meet McLaren’s IndyCar superstar: Pato O’Ward
Before setting off for such an unforgettable evening, I caught up with O’Ward hoping to get some words of wisdom about what to expect from the evening’s festivities and the upcoming IndyCar season from one of the racing world’s last remaining old-fashioned wild men, famous for his ninja-quick hands on the wheel and a true fan favorite.
How does the Vegas Formula 1 road course compare to IndyCar road courses like Long Beach, St. Petersburg and Toronto?
Certainly less bumpy; it is smooth. I wouldn’t say it’s the gentlest because the F1 cars evaporate quite a bit. But compared to an IndyCar road circuit, the F1 car’s floor wouldn’t survive at all. But you won’t have any bumps in a road car. You may feel some waves, especially if you ride very fast in the back area, but you won’t feel any hard impacts. I think you’ll really appreciate what the car can do in terms of speed if we’re allowed to wring its neck a little at the back.
What about the transitions, the curbs and the asphalt?
The curbs are aggressive. You will definitely feel the curbs when you drive on them. It’s the same asphalt everywhere, so there’s actually no transition from concrete to asphalt; everything is the same. But I would say that the track itself isn’t as rough as other typical road courses, at least as far as I’m used to.
Have you ever driven Monaco?
I didn’t drive Monaco! But I bet it feels like driving a Formula 1 car at 300, 400 miles per hour.
Speaking of which, I know you did some free practice sessions with McLaren F1. How is your relationship with the F1 team these days?
My full-time job is IndyCar, and part-time I travel for free in the Formula 1 world and occasionally jump into the F1 car. It’s not too shabby at all. I get to watch, entertain and sometimes even drive (in free practice).
In your opinion, what are IndyCar more exciting than F1?
There’s a little more chaos at the races, I would say. Strangely, this year (2025) was dominated by one driver (Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing), which is usually never the case. I mean, you haven’t seen that in 50 years. But usually you can never tell who will be on the podium. And I have the feeling that you can get a good idea in Formula 1. So I would say it’s a little more unpredictable and chaotic, and I feel like it draws attention.
But what Formula 1 has that no one else has is just sex appeal. The sexy status, like the invisible wall, everyone wants to be there just to be there. No one else could reach that level. Obviously they are global; They have the biggest brands in the world with the most money. But it turned into something like, “Hey, I was there.” No matter how little you know about racing cars.
I definitely see a lot of selfies being taken here in Vegas. What do you hope for IndyCar in the coming season?
I hope the series keeps getting bigger. I know that FOX (IndyCar’s new TV partner for 2025) has played a big role in the series and that they are involved. And that’s why I think the direction it’s taking is in the right direction. But I think it is also very important for the management to make the right decisions about where we will race and what we will do with the new car. We still want to be the top series in the world, even if it’s primarily based in America.
The cars cannot have all specifications. We still have to have different engines; We still need to have something worth developing for teams. There must be some differences in creativity, you know, so I really hope they don’t take that away from them.
My personal goal is to finish every lap, which was my goal this year, but unfortunately those dreams were dashed in Portland when I had an engine problem. And then I had a puncture in Nashville. That wasn’t surprising. I just want to finish every round and I feel like that will put me in a good place at the end of the year.
Alright, the most important question: We’ve already talked about your amazing car collection. What do you ride most these days?
I have my looker, a (McLaren) 720S in Tokyo Cyan. It’s like a baby blue. I have an M3 Comp as my everyday vehicle. I really like it, it’s four wheel drive, but if you want you can only use rear wheel drive, like drift mode.
I have the ultimate luxury and in my opinion it’s the best in the garage: a Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost. I never thought I would enjoy a car like this at such a young age, but it is the epitome of not being in a rush in the morning. That’s how it feels. I drive this thing almost every day when I’m home.
And I have the loudest car, my Shelby Cobra kit car. I wish it was original, but it has a 5.0L Coyote, 485 HP, fuel injected, side pipes, super loud. Then I have a Ferrari 458 Italia with Novitec exhaust and Vorsteiner Aero, the thing looks mean, looks tough.
I just got this, I’m pretty happy, it’s a good collection. But at some point I would like to have a (McLaren) W1.
Oh, I know who you can talk to about it…
Yes, I will make a bet with Zak (Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing). He doesn’t know about it yet, but I’ll make a bet. I win the Indy 500, he gives me a W1. I think that’s completely fair!
Images: Andrew Links, FIA, McLaren Retail
