IndyCar’s most popular driver has been crying out for a race in his home country.
Since then, O’Ward has been on a crusade — and it looks like he’ll get his wish as soon as 2026.
“Oh, man, people are going to be pumped,” said the McLaren driver.
“I’m going to be pumped. I hope all of you are going to be pumped. It’s going to be a great event. It’s going to be the best event on the calendar outside of the Indy 500.
“I know there’s talks going on. I know it’s quite more advanced than what it’s ever been. Yeah, I really hope we see it on the calendar in ’26.”
Buy tickets
Exactly where the race would be held is not yet known.
O’Ward believes a race in Monterrey would succeed but existing infrastructure in Mexico City might make a plug-and-play option easier for IndyCar.
Champ Car raced at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez from 2002 to 2007 and also held a race at Fundidora Park Raceway from 2001 to 2006.
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez already hosts Formula 1 and Formula E and will soon add the TCR World Tour and the top two NASCAR divisions alongside the NASCAR Mexico Series.
“I will be very involved, and I want to be very involved,” said O’Ward of the proposed race.
‘I want to make sure it’s a success. I want to finish that weekend and be like, ‘Wow!’ — I wanted to say something else, but not this early in the morning.
“It’s the perfect market for IndyCar to go and just really experience what that aficionado, that fan can bring to the table because it’s such a special group of people, such a special community that really embraces not just Indycar back in the day but Formula 1.
“Anybody that’s there they always make them feel so welcomed and special, and I know they’re going to do just that for us.”
Mexico is among several markets IndyCar is currently evaluating alongside Denver.
Last year, IndyCar announced the Grand Prix of Arlington to take place in Dallas, Texas.
Discussion about this post