Indy Car Drivers Alex Palou, Pato O'Ward Named for McLaren F1 FP1 Practice Sessions

• IndyCar drivers Alex Palou and Pato O'Ward are scheduled for Formula 1 free practice one (FP1) sessions at Austin and Abu Dhabi, respectively.

• Palou will drive Daniel Ricciardo's McLaren at Circuit of the Americas, and O'Ward will drive Lando Norris' car at Abu Dhabi.

• American Logan Sargeant will practice with Willams at Austin.

IndyCar drivers Alex Palou and Pato O'Ward will be getting an opportunity to show their stuff on a Formula 1 stage this fall.

Chip Ganassi Racing IndyCar driver Palou is scheduled for a Friday practice session for the McLaren Racing F1 team on Oct. 21 as part of the 2022 Aramco United States Grand Prix. Arrow McLaren SP driver O'Ward will get his FP1 opportunity later at Abu Dhabi.

Palou will drive Daniel Ricciardo's F1 car for the 60-minute session at Circuit of the Americas.

The test sessions goes toward McLaren satisfying a Formula 1 regulation that calls for each team to run rookies during two first practice sessions (FP1) of a F1 race weekend. Palou will be one of four rookies on track Oct. 21 in Austin, along with Robert Shwartzman (Ferrari), Theo Pourchaire (Alfa Romeo) and American Logan Sargeant (Williams).

Palou won the NTT IndyCar championship in 2021 and has four wins and 15 podiums in IndyCar. He was signed earlier this year to a testing deal with McLaren F1. The testing deal will not conflict with his Ganassi IndyCar ride.