As raindrops began to fall on Thursday night of the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend, a group of two dozen McLaren supercars gathered surreptitiously outside the wall at Turn 12. Lucky owners on hand joked about participating in the so-called Million Dollar Drive, an opportunity to chase last year’s IndyCar Series runner-up, Pato O’Ward, around the amazing F1 street course after Free Practice 2 wound down. McLaren offered me a chance to join in on the action, so I happily pulled on a helmet and jumped into one of my favorite supercars, a 750S, for a quick stint of just two 3.853-mile laps.
I pulled up to Turn 12, very curious to experience the top speed and cornering traction on the Vegas strip. The few other F1 circuits – current and former – I’d previously driven all typically boasted the most pristine tarmac surface of any tracks on earth. But Vegas only joined the F1 calendar in 2023, and the first year proved somewhat infamous after a manhole cover pulled loose from the racecars’ downforce and smashed up Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari.
Rumors of another manhole cover popping up even caused a brief delay in FP2 as I pitted with the McLarens. And as I pulled out, the rain only started to fall harder and harder. Negotiating the weather, the other McLaren drivers, trying to keep an eye on O’Ward in his full-on racecar-spec Artura – all as the brilliant neon lights flared up on my increasingly raindrop-splattered windshield – required extreme focus.
But the actual road surface at Vegas proved extremely forgiving, surprisingly grippy despite the wet, and smoother than smooth. Until, that is, I popped over a curb or two and upset the suspension of my 750S a bit.
Still, ripping through gears before a crowd of F1 fans, the casinos flying by, the Sphere illuminating the night sky. No doubt, one of the drives of my life.
Meet McLaren’s IndyCar Superstar: Pato O’Ward
Before heading out for such a memorable night, I caught up with O’Ward, hoping to glean 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, famed for his ninja-fast hands on the wheel, and a true fan favorite.
How does the street course for the Vegas F1 circuit compare to street courses for IndyCar like Long Beach, St. Petersburg and Toronto?
Less bumpy for sure; it’s smooth. I wouldn’t say it’s the smoothest, because the F1 cars are porpoising quite a bit. But compared to an IndyCar street course, the F1 car’s floor wouldn’t survive at all. But it won’t be bumpy for you in a road car. You might feel some undulations, especially when you’re going super-fast in the back stretch, but you won’t feel, like, harsh bumps. I think you’re going to really appreciate what the car can do speed-wise, if they let us wring its neck a little bit in the back stretch.
What about the transitions, with the curbs and the asphalt?
The curbs are aggressive. You’ll definitely feel the curbs if you’re riding on them. It’s the same tarmac all the way around, so there really isn’t a concrete-to-asphalt transition; everything is the same. But I would say the track itself isn’t as rough as other typical street courses, at least out of what I’m used to.
Have you ever driven Monaco?
I have not driven Monaco! But I bet it feels like you’re going like 300, 400 miles an hour in a Formula 1 car.
Speaking of, I know you’ve done some free practice sessions with McLaren F1. What’s your relationship with the F1 team like these days?
My full-time job’s in IndyCar, and then my side hustle is traveling for free in the Formula 1 world and occasionally jumping in the F1 car. It’s not too shabby at all. I get to watch, entertain, and sometimes drive [in free practice].
What are some of the ways that you think IndyCar is more exciting than F1?
There’s a bit more chaos in the races, I would say. Weirdly, this year [2025] was dominated by one driver [Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing], but it usually never is. I mean, this hasn’t been seen in 50 years. But, usually, you can never say who’s gonna be on the podium. And I feel like in F1, you can get a good idea. So, I would say it’s a bit more unpredictable and chaotic, and I feel like that draws attention.
But what F1’s got that no one else has is just the sex appeal. The sexy status, like the invisible wall, everyone wants to be there just to be there. No one else has been able to obtain that level. Obviously, they’re global; you’ve got the biggest brands in the world with the most money. But it’s turned into something like, ‘Hey, I was there.’ No matter how little you know about race cars.
For sure, I’m seeing a lot of selfies being taken out here in Vegas. What are your hopes for IndyCar this coming season?
I hope the series keeps getting bigger. I know FOX [IndyCar’s new-for-2025 TV partner] has been a big thing for the series, and they’ve got skin in the game. And, so, I think the trajectory it’s taking is in the right way. But I think it’s also pretty important for leadership to make the right calls on where we’re racing, what we’re going to do with the new car. We still want to be leading as a top series worldwide, even though it’s mostly in America.
The cars can’t be all spec. We still got to have different engines; we still have to have something worth developing for teams. There’s got to be some differences in creativity, you know, so I really hope they don’t take that away.
My personal goal is I want to finish every lap, which was my goal this year, but sadly, those dreams were crushed in Portland when I had an engine issue. And then I had the tire blowout in Nashville. That wasn’t amazing. I just want to finish every lap, and I feel like in doing so, I’ll be sitting pretty at the end of the year.
All right, most important question: We’ve talked about your kickass car collection before. What are you driving most these days?
I’ve got my head-turner, which is a [McLaren] 720S in Tokyo Cyan. It’s like a baby blue. For my daily driver, I’ve got an M3 Comp. I really like it, it’s all-wheel drive, but you can do only rear, like drift mode, if you want.
I’ve got the ultimate of luxury and in my opinion, it is the best in the garage: a Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost. I never thought I would enjoy such a car at such a young age, but it is the epitome of not being rushed in the morning. That’s what it feels like. I drive that thing almost every day I’m home.
And I’ve got the loudest car, my Shelby Cobra kit car. I wish it was an original, but it’s got a 5.0-liter Coyote, 485-horse, fuel-injected, side pipes, super loud. Then I’ve got a Ferrari 458 Italia with a Novitec exhaust, Vorsteiner aero, the thing looks mean, looks badass.
That’s what I’ve got right now, I’m pretty happy, that’s a good collection. But at some point, I’d love a [McLaren] W1.
Oh, I know who you can talk to about that…
Yeah, I’m going to make a bet with Zak [Brown, McLaren Racing CEO]. He doesn’t know about it yet, but I’m going to make a bet. I win the Indy 500, he gets me a W1. I think that’s totally fair!
Images: Andrew Links, FIA, McLaren Retail