July of 2022 was a heady time for IndyCar drivers who harbored Formula One dreams.
The long-broken bridge that once sent Michael Andretti and Sebastien Bourdais from IndyCar's mountaintop to F1's taller peak was being rebuilt, or so we thought, as no fewer than three Indy aces began testing with McLaren. Less than two years later, only one of the F1 aspirants remains standing, Arrow McLaren star Pato O'Ward.
The engaging Mexican, who finished fourth in the IndyCar standings in 2023, continues to find himself in the warm embrace of motor racing's most popular series while two of his closest IndyCar rivals have been cast aside.