The 25-year-old Mexican was Arrow McLaren’s best shot to win last year’s race until he crashed out in the closing stages, after an ambitious move on eventual runner-up Marcus Ericsson ended in the Turn 3 wall.
Although he was fifth quickest in practice on Monday, as teams reverted to race-spec turbo boost after three days in qualifying mode, the normally upbeat O’Ward was uncharacteristically gloomy about his chances in Sunday’s 108th running of the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’.
