What Pato O’Ward Means to the Mexican Community
Patricio “Pato” O’Ward has brought Mexican representation to IndyCar. Photo by Naoki Gima.
24-year-old IndyCar driver Patricio O’Ward is more than just an athlete. To many, he is an icon, a role model and their only representation in the sport.
Originally from Monterey, Mexico, O’Ward, whose nickname Pato means duck in Spanish, moved to the United States as a young boy and grew up in San Antonio, Texas. While he may have been raised in the States, O’Ward never shied away from his heritage and races proudly under the Mexican flag.
He has achieved what few people in his country have achieved. O’Ward is only one of seven Mexican drivers in history who have raced in the Indianapolis 500. He is currently the only Mexican driver on the grid and is one of four Latin American drivers, alongside Brazilians Pietro Fittipaldi, Hélio Castroneves, and Argentinian Augustíne Canapino.
Since his IndyCar debut in 2019 after winning the INDY NXT championship the year prior, O’Ward has quickly become a fan favorite. His social media presence, along with his corgi Norbi and dedication to representing his home country, has endeared him to longtime fans and newcomers alike. Many fans credit his personality and kindness as the reasons they support him.
“His personality is what draws me to him,” said Diana, a 29-year-old Mexican fan from Los Angeles. “Everything I’ve seen of him makes him seem like such an easygoing, nice guy.”
Currently sitting at sixth in the championship, O’Ward has seen immense success in his career. When he won his first race at the Texas Motor Speedway in 2021, he became the first Mexican driver to win a race since Adrian Fernandez in 2004.
He has four race wins throughout his career, with five poles and 21 top-three finishes. O’Ward is consistently in the championship fight and has quickly become one of the most popular drivers in the series.
His presence and success in the sport have inspired many Mexican fans who don’t feel represented. In a 2023 study by IndyCar on their fan demographics, it was reported that 86% of fans identify as white, 7% as Black and another 7% as other. Having O’Ward passionately display his heritage has brought more Mexican fans to the sport, as is shown by the major Mexican turnout at the Long Beach Grand Prix.
For some fans, O'Ward is the reason they became interested in the sport. Photo by Naoki Gima.
“He’s an inspiration to the Mexican community,” said Francisco Ingrés, a 32-year-old fan from Mexicali, Mexico. “Nowadays, there are not a lot of Mexican athletes who have been so successful at what they do, but he is.”
O’Ward is quickly becoming one of the faces of the sport, with sponsorships from Mission Tortillas and Electrolit and his renewed $10 million total Arrow McLaren contract until 2027. He is very open about wanting to be a role model, saying in a recent interview with NBC Los Angeles, “It’s very humbling to see a lot of little guys and girls walking around with the ‘five’ shirts and cheering. I was once that kid watching race cars, and that’s really cool that I get to be kind of that person for them.”
Fans already consider O’Ward a role model and inspiration for their community.
“I'm Mexican too, so for me, to see somebody who's part of my own culture and knows that experience is important,” said Diana. “Whenever I hear him talk in Spanish, it's so weird because, for us, we're used to like European and American drivers, so for him to be one of the people breaking these boundaries makes me really happy.”