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McLaren F1 reserve driver Pato O'Ward has given an update on his health situation after suffering severe food poisoning ahead of his start at the FP1 Mexican Grand Prix. The IndyCar driver, who runs full-time for Arrow McLaren, had replaced Lando Norris in FP1 on Friday as part of the team's use of the session to meet the F1-mandated rookie programme.
O'Ward completed 30 laps in the session despite having symptoms of food poisoning and was 13th fastest out of 20 drivers. The Mexican driver's symptoms worsened after he got out of the car. The one-hour session at the Autodrom Hermanos Rodríguez took its toll on him, and he was taken to the track's medical center.
Pato O'Ward had severe diarrhea and was given IV fluid to combat dehydration and stomach pain medication while doctors monitored his heart rate. McLaren canceled his appearances in the middle of the day.
On Saturday, qualifying day for the Mexican Grand Prix, O'Ward returned to the track and fulfilled his media obligations. In a virtual interview with reporter Bob Pockrass, the home hero shared a health update, saying:
“I feel a lot better,” O'Ward said. “I don't feel like a ghost anymore.”
The 26-year-old reflected on running the testing program with McLaren in FP1 and how that prevailed over his unexpected illness.
“There are always opportunities you don't want to pass up, so do everything in your power to make sure you do a good job,” O'Ward added. “You got through your schedule. Obviously, I would have liked to feel a little fresher, but all in all, I'm glad we were able to get through the schedule.”
Pato O'Ward responded to his fans Friday via an X post, expressing gratitude for the messages of concern he received.
Pato O'Ward explains the comparison with Oscar Piastri after the Mexican GP FP1
There was a considerable difference in lap times between them Oscar Piastri and 2025 IndyCar championship runner-up Pato O'Ward in FP1. The Australian driver was fourth fastest in FP1, while the Mexican was some nine tenths slower in P13.
However, both drivers were on different tire compounds, Piastri on medium tires and O'Ward on hard tires, which accounted for some, if not all, of the difference. When Bob Pockrass asked O'Ward if he compared his lap times to those of other drivers, the IndyCar star replied:
“It's quite difficult… like yesterday, Oscar was on a medium, I was on a hard. There's a focus on all the tire compounds and things like that to get the most information out of it, you know, whatever the team needs for P2, P3, etc.”
“Obviously I'm compared to Oscar, the best comparison I could have had because obviously he has the same car,” O'Ward added. “But obviously it's difficult when the tires are different. We both go soft at the end, but yeah, most of the program is really different. You have to break it down and learn as much as you can.”
In qualifying for the Mexican GP on Saturday, Lando Norris took pole position with a great lap, while Oscar Piastri settled for a humble P8.
Edited by Yash Kotak
