Formula 1 World Championship 2024, Round 20, Mexican Grand Prix, Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City, Mexico, Friday 25 October 2024 - Pato O'Ward (MEX) McLaren Reserve Driver.

Why O'Ward acusses ex-F1 driver of 'choking' and calls Indy 500 'crap'

19:35, 28 May

Updated: 19:59, 28 May

byNorberto Mujica

McLaren reserve driver, Pato O'Ward was highly critical after the Indy 500 race, which he believed was not up to par to what the audience should expect from the mythical race.

What was the issue the Mexican driver had with the race at the brickyard? For starters, former F1 driver Marcus Ericsson 'choked', according to O'Ward, in what turned out to be the decisive battle for the lead against eventual winner, Alex Palou.

“Pretty crap race, I would say. It just kind of sucks that it just went down to the switcheroo for the last position of the race," said the Mexican Arrow McLaren driver to FOX.

"And Ericsson kind of choked there and let Palou by and just kind of, he just had to pedal it there. You know, it's, I don't think it's the finish that anybody here would have wanted to see.”

Formula One Post-Season Testing, Abu Dhabi, Marina Bay Street Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday 10 December 2024 - Pato O'Ward (MEX) McLaren MCL38 Reserve Driver.

'2025 Indy 500 not up to standards due to lack of experienced drivers'

According to O'Ward the lack of drivers with experience of running at the front at the Brickyard played a key role in the legendary race, which according to the Mexican, saw him 'hosed a couple of times,' made some of the restarts 'pathetic,' comparing them to 'playing roulette in a casino.'

“I just feel like there was a bunch of non-experienced in the front of the restarts. And I think some of those restarts were pathetic. Like, really, those were not up to level of what we should be seeing at the Indy 500."

"It just felt like we were playing roulette in a casino and picking outside or inside. And just depending on what everyone else was choosing, you either got screwed or you made like 10 positions”.

“So, yeah, we got hosed there a couple times. But we made it back up a little bit after being a bit more in the middle. I fought my way as hard as I could. I really did. So, that's all you can do sometimes”.

Ericsson, Andretti teammate Kyle Kirkwood and Prema Racing driver Callum Ilott were penalised during post race inspections and sent to the back of the finishing order which promoted A.J Foyt Racing's David Malukas all the way up to P2 and O'Ward to P3.