Patricio O'Ward, McLaren, IndyCar, 2019

McLaren run O’Ward in first test for 2020 IndyCar return

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McLaren has conducted its first test ahead of its full-time return to IndyCar next year.

Patricio O’Ward, who has already been confirmed as one of the team’s two drivers for next season, drove a Dallara DW12 fitted with an Aeroscreen at Sebring on Tuesday. The car ran in an interim camouflage livery.

Rival team Dale Coyne were also present at the test with Sebastien Bourdais and Santino Ferrucci. Both teams conducted evaluations of the new Aeroscreen which will be mandatory on IndyCars next year.

O’Ward, who has started eight IndyCar races, was impressed with the new safety structure.

“You can barely tell the screen is there because it’s pretty clear,” he said. “Obviously, it’s a bit more enclosed, but you see everything you usually see. The eyes kind of look around the halo, so you don’t really notice it. Once you’re pushing, you don’t really see the Aeroscreen.”

All teams should receive their supplies of Aeroscreen parts next month, according to IndyCar’s vice president of competition and engineering Bill Pappas. Standard cooling options will be made available to each team.

“These will be areas with specific parts,” said Pappas. “Teams won’t be free to develop their own ductwork.”

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McLaren IndyCar test at Sebring

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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12 comments on “McLaren run O’Ward in first test for 2020 IndyCar return”

  1. Why are all good (nice, interesting, etc.) liveries used only in tests?

    Sponsors should not be an excuse… there are many ways to artfully combine crazy livery with sponsors’ logos.

    1. My own view (might just be me, though) is because a lot of them look ‘wow’ the first time we see them, and have a huge novelty factor when we see testing pictures/videos. But if we had to watch them going round a track all year they’d end up close to No. 1 in every single future article anyone wrote about hideous liveries.

      This one’s a great example – my first impression was ‘cool’, but as soon as I thought about it as a full-time paintjob it became awful. In reverse, the Honda Earth Dreams car is pretty much the go-to example whenever someone mentions ugly livery… but if they’d wheeled it out as a test-only effort, I think we might even fondly remember it.

  2. I’m a bit confused. Isn’t the point of camouflage livery to obscure the details of custom bodywork / aero parts? When you’re in a series where that stuff is spec, what’s there to camouflage? Seems like a wasted opportunity to get a little extra sponsor money in, unless I’m overlooking something…?

    1. They probably didnt iron out the details with the sponsors, which ones are brought over from McLaren, and where are they placed. Some teams run blank liveries in testing so this is more fun and gives more visibility to their new logo along with some additional press coverage.

    2. Sponsors? Are you asking for a big etihad airways logo?

      1. They dont fly well in the US…

    3. Even thought the cars are spec there are a multitude of configuations. It helps hide the setup and configuration of the cars aero.

      The text on the camo is AM, Arrow McLaren.

      1. Cheers, Don. I’d spotted the AM detail, but fascinating to think there’s still some valuable intel to be gained from looking at the setup.

        And yeah, I get the press coverage angle too, Miles. Fair point.

  3. McLaren has completed its first test… as a glorified sponsor of Schmidt Peterson Motorsport.

    I’m not sure how much technical ability they’ll bring based on their Indy500 non-qualification. Read Trevor Carlin’s interview about their “co-operation”.

    I didn’t think you guys would be spouting Zak Brown’s (until recently) Motorsport Network cheerleading. SPAM indeed (as Robin Miller puts it).

  4. Modern art gallery owner by day, secret agent by night. The flamboyant spy known as MUMU, and this is his special car.

  5. OK, the screen looks quite good in those pics. Obviously the drivers are really protected now.

    1. I didn’t even notice it was there until I read the article and then took a closer look.

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