IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward has laughed off talk of a switch to Formula 1 with Cadillac, likening it to the rumours surrounding Fernando Alonso and popstar Taylor Swift.
O’Ward has long-been linked with a move to F1 and via new U.S. team Cadillac there are two seats available on the 2026 grid.
Cadillac are yet to confirm their plans but have been keeping an eye on IndyCar, where O’Ward has established himself as a star.
But Arrow McLaren’s Mexican driver insists there’s no truth in links to Cadillac, playfully comparing it to Alonso and Swift — who were linked to be dating on social media for much of last year.
“The rumours about me going to Cadillac were like the rumours about Fernando Alonso hanging out with Taylor Swift,” O’Ward told ESPN MX.
Cadillac boss Graeme Lowdon recently mentioned seven drivers as potential targets on the High Performance podcast, name-checking Mick Schumacher, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez, among others.
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O’Ward, who is a McLaren F1 reserve, made it clear he sees his Mexican compatriot Pérez back on the grid. Pérez was left without a seat in 2024 after Red Bull replaced him with Liam Lawson, who they have since dumped in favour of Yuki Tsunoda.
“I think his departure from Formula 1 wasn’t what he wanted,” O’Ward said.
“If he chooses not to return, he’ll still be an idol. If he chooses to return, he’ll still be an idol. I don’t think much changes there. But I already saw him training and he wouldn’t be training if he wasn’t coming back.”
O’Ward is second in this year’s Indy Car Championship, behind Álex Palou.
