“They didn’t give me a seat because the FIA wanted to protect a French driver”. A shocking accusation from Patricio O’Ward against the FIA.

Blocked by the FIA to safeguard a Frenchman: Patricio O’Ward’s stunning revelation about Formula 1. The Mexican driver, associated with McLaren for years, was reportedly close to joining the F1 grid in 2020. At the time, he was part of the Red Bull Junior Team and, according to his account on the “Creativo” podcast, had already struck a deal with Helmut Marko, likely for a seat at AlphaTauri.

Patricio O’Ward is one of the IndyCar drivers most frequently linked to Formula 1. Since 2020, he has been part of McLaren’s program, winning three races this year in the American single-seater series. In addition to his full-time commitments in the U.S., he has participated in several Free Practice sessions and post-season tests in Abu Dhabi.

In 2020, however, O’Ward claims he came very close to securing a spot on the F1 grid. After some strong performances with Carlin in IndyCar, O’Ward says he signed a contract with Helmut Marko. Although he had not yet accrued the necessary Super License points, Charlie Whiting had reportedly given the green light. However, after Whiting’s passing, the situation changed.

Patricio O’Ward’s account: how much truth is there?
With the arrival of what O’Ward describes as a “new team” leading the FIA—referred to as “the French team”—the agreement fell through. He claims he was first denied the potential points from Indy Lights due to an insufficient number of cars on the grid and then refused points for his (brief) experience in Super Formula. According to O’Ward, this was a deliberate move by the FIA to protect a French driver.

The Frenchman in question could be Pierre Gasly, who was reconfirmed at AlphaTauri in 2020. However, O’Ward’s story has been met with skepticism by some observers. They point out that if he had joined F1, he would more likely have replaced Daniil Kvyat or Alexander Albon rather than Pierre Gasly, who went on to win the Italian Grand Prix that year.

Ultimately, the Mexican driver chose to continue his career in IndyCar, joining the McLaren family. He has admitted that this decision was driven by his inability to wait any longer for clarity about his future.