McLaren confirm testing outings for IndyCar drivers O’Ward and Palou in 2021 car at Barcelona

McLaren’s ‘Testing of Previous Cars’ programme continues this week with IndyCar stars Pato O’Ward and Alex Palou at the wheel of the 2021 MCL35M.

Palou and O’Ward are currently testing the 2021 MCL35M at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Palou was caught in a contract dispute between McLaren’s IndyCar team and Chip Ganassi Racing, the ruling having fallen on the latter’s side, but the 25-year-old Spaniard was still cleared to enjoy his first-ever F1 outing today.

PALMER: How De Vries took full advantage of his surprise F1 debut and staked his claim for a 2023 race seat

O’Ward continues testing the MCL35M this week, while he will carry on racing for the McLaren IndyCar outfit in 2023 alongside ex-F1 racer Alex Rossi – with Felix Rosenqvist joining the pair.

Colton Herta, who is understood to be under consideration by AlphaTauri – if they are able to get the 22-year-old IndyCar racer a Super Licence – has already taken part in McLaren’s Testing of Previous Cars programme, having enjoyed an outing at Portimao this year.

EXCLUSIVE: Piastri on joining McLaren, leaving Alpine and making his F1 debut

However, despite all three of Palou, O’Ward and Herta having been linked with a potential F1 drive with McLaren, that route has seemingly been barred after the team announced that they had signed Oscar Piastri for 2023, with Daniel Ricciardo set to make way at the team.