Pato O’Ward underwent treatment after taking part in McLaren’s first practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
According to ESPN, the 26-year-old Mexican was treated for food poisoning after driving Lando Norris’ McLaren F1 car during an FP1 outing in his home country.
ESPN reported that O’Ward suffered from severe diarrhea and dehydration, forcing him to stay in the track’s media center for three hours after the first practice.
The 2025 IndyCar runner-up was given IV fluids and medication to treat his symptoms.
O’Ward had to cancel scheduled engagements, including media interviews with reporters.
He was one of nine new drivers taking part in FP1 as teams completed the runs required by F1 rules.
O’Ward was on the verge of withdrawing from the session, but completed 30 laps and finished in 13th place.
“Being back on track in Mexico is very special for me,” O’Ward said in McLaren’s post-finish press release. “Our fans have been so passionate and loud this past week and made us feel at home again.
“I would like to thank the team for putting me in the seat. We successfully completed the program we had planned for the day and I really enjoyed the opportunity to get in the car today and take the time to support Lando and Oscar in their championship run.”
“I look forward to watching the team finish the weekend strong.”
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella added: “We would like to thank Pato for the good job he did on behalf of Lando in FP1. He made a valuable contribution to our data collection, which the team highly values.”
Charles Leclerc set the pace for Ferrari in FP1, with Max Verstappen, one of nine regular drivers absent from first practice, returning to lead the FP2 timesheets.