Pato O’Ward was treated in the medical centre after his practice outing in Mexico City.
Pato O’Ward received medical treatment after taking part in first practice for McLaren at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
The 26-year-old Mexican was treated for food poisoning after driving Lando Norris’s McLaren F1 car during an FP1 outing on home soil, according to ESPN.
ESPN’s report details that O’Ward suffered severe diarrhoea and dehydration, forcing him to stay at the track’s medial centre for three hours after first practice.
The 2025 IndyCar runner-up was given IV fluids and medication to help treat the symptoms.
O’Ward had to cancel planned commitments including his media interviews to reporters.
He was among nine rookie drivers who took part in FP1 as teams completed the running which is mandatory in F1’s rules.
O’Ward was close to pulling out of the session but completed 30 laps and ended up with the 13th-fastest time.
“Being back on track in Mexico is so special to me,” O’Ward said in McLaren’s end of day press release. “All week, the fans have been passionate and loud, making me feel right at home again.
“I want to thank the team for putting me in the seat. We ran through the programme we had planned for the day successfully, and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to support Lando and Oscar on their championship runs with time in the car today.
“I’m excited to see the team finish up the weekend strong.”
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella added: “Thank you to Pato who did a good job in place of Lando in FP1. He provided a valuable contribution to our data collection, which is appreciated by the team.”
Charles Leclerc set the pace for Ferrari in FP1, before Max Verstappen topped the FP2 timesheet on his return to action, having been one of nine regular drivers to sit out of first practice.
