Who Is Pato O’Ward? A Boxing, Cooking, Mexican Living Life On The Edge

Pato O’Ward is the most popular driver in INDYCAR.

His international presence and outgoing personality is infectious. For instance, to see the joy of him milking a cow at Indianapolis in the days leading up to the Indy 500 will make anyone smile.

So what makes the native of Monterrey, Mexico, tick?

Well, the Arrow McLaren driver loves to win, as he has done two of the last three INDYCAR races. But he also loves to go fast — whether that is in the race car or other phases of his life.

O’Ward sat down with FOX Sports ahead of his weekend win in Toronto to give some insight into who he is off the track.

Who is Pato O’Ward?

Who is Pato O’Ward? I am a 26-year-old Mexican racing driver for a pretty badass brand called McLaren. And I am a fan of anything that has to do with adrenaline — cars, airplanes, motorcycles. What else? My drink of choice is tequila. And I like living life on the edge.

How would your friends describe you?

Unhinged. Definitely honest. Loyal. And you can always count on the truth when you ask me something — it doesn’t matter if it’s going to be a good or bad answer.

Do people still think you’re Irish?

Yeah, sometimes actually. I’m the Mexican-Irish guy. They ask me because they say you don’t look Mexican, because apparently I’m not like tan enough. So then I say, “It must be the Irish.”

Your first name is Patricio not Patrick? 

Patricio. My great-grandfather was Patrick. And then I’m No. 4. My dad’s No. 3, so my kid’s going to be No. 5. We’ll see how that works.

And it’s your great-grandfather who was Irish?

Yes, he was the Irishman. Very redhead as well. A ginger.

You didn’t get any of that?

No, I’ve got some ginger for sure. If I let my beard grow out, it’s definitely red.

Do you still do any boxing for training?

Oh yes, I do. I love boxing. I don’t box in Indy. I box in San Antonio. Great trainer. I’ve known him for more than a decade. I used to go there when I was in high school and I was trying to lose weight. I still go train with him, and it’s probably my favorite way of training. It’s just different every time.

So if you got on a fight on the track, would that be considered, like, illegal, because you’re a boxer?

No. They say a boxer’s hands are weapons, but I’m not quite to that level. So I think I would be able to use it to my advantage.

Do you fight? Do you have a boxing bag?

I don’t have a heavy bag at my house, but I’ve sparred before — actually just with my cousins and I, typical boys. We just moved the cars from the garage, and we made a ring and we just bought gloves and the face things, and we just sparred. I actually have a video where I thought my cousin’s back was going to snap because he was [bent over], but that was funny.

I don’t know if [McLaren Racing CEO] Zak [Brown] should see that? He probably wouldn’t want to see you get hit in the face?

Yeah. I need my face. And my hands, too.

And you are a foodie, right?

Massive foodie. I went to a fabulous restaurant yesterday here in Toronto, called the Amal. Mediterranean.

Can you cook? 

I can cook. Don’t expect homemade pasta sauce from me, but I can do any steak. I can do quesadillas, tacos, handmade tortillas. I can do great guacamole. I can do chicken, I can do rice. I want to learn how to do a proper risotto, like a truffle risotto. But I’m not so fancy yet. I only know how to do the simple things. Eggs any style.

Do you like to cook?

I like to cook, I love my kitchen, and I love to cook in my kitchen. Whenever I moved from my apartment to my house, that was one of the biggest, most exciting things that I was doing because then it meant that I wouldn’t stink up the whole place when I was cooking.

But here’s the thing, if you’re an adrenaline guy, cooking takes patience. How do you handle doing it right?

I can’t follow recipes. I get overwhelmed by recipes, kind of like when I get overwhelmed by emails. I will never answer an email, very rarely, and if I do, it’s going to be in a text style. I don’t follow recipes. The problem here in America is that they make such a simple, delicious dish, most of the time, a very non-simple dish when it just tastes great with just some salted lemon or whatever. And so whenever I want something like that, and I like to know what I’m putting in my body, I like to cook it because it’s the only way to really know what you’re putting in your body. I really learned how to enjoy it. I feel like you appreciate a meal more because you know what’s gone into it. But I live in extremes. Bob, I’m either like, at 15,000 rpm, or I’m at, like, 3,000 rpm. I don’t really live in the middle.

What city has the best food on the circuit?

Wow, you got me there. Toronto is big. Like Toronto is the most international city in the world. You’ve got literally everything you’re looking for. There’s good sushi, there’s good Mediterranean, there’s good Italian, there’s good everything. But if it wasn’t Toronto, I would probably go — it’s from where we race, right? — L.A. has got some great stuff. But I’m going to go with Toronto.

And if Mexico City were added with that, Mexico City would be No. 1? 

Mexico City would be No. 1.

Yeah, by far, probably?

Oh yeah.

So if there’s any reason to go to Mexico City, should be that?

Fast race cars. Beautiful culture. And fabulous food.

And how much do you identify with Mexico and Mexico City considering you were born in Monterrey but kind of grew up in San Antonio, right? 

So I was born and raised in Monterrey for the first 11 years of my life. Then I moved to San Antonio, Texas. There’s still a big part of San Antonio that’s very Latin. A lot of Mexicans were there at the time when I went as well because Monterrey got a little bit ugly. But I’ve always said that doesn’t matter where I am in Mexico. It feels like home. I could be in Puerto Vallarta. I could be in Guadalajara. I can be in Monterrey. I can be in Mexico City. Puebla. Like it doesn’t matter where in Mexico, it all feels like home to me. And it goes back to something that I live by: Home isn’t a place but rather who’s there. And that’s what I miss most about my heritage and just growing up in Mexico is the language, the food, the people. They’re very nice people and it’s really a beautiful place. So, every time I go on a vacation and it’s a beach, 98 percent of the time you’re going to run into me in Mexico.

And the tequila is better?

The tequila there is phenomenal, I can say that. And I’ve got the cure after having a tequila with [sponsor drink] Electrolit. They hook us up with the recovery process.

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

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