Red Bull junior programme shaken up again as Marko cuts 'potato' O'Ward
Red Bull junior programme shaken up again as Marko cuts 'potato' O'Ward
Patricio O'Ward has become the latest young talent to be cut from Red Bull's junior programme.
The 20-year-old Mexican won the Indy Lights title in 2018 and has raced in IndyCar, Formula 2 and Super Formula this year.
His switch to the Japanese open-wheel series came after he was drafted into the Red Bull fold, following Dan Ticktum's release earlier this year.
Ticktum had been under Red Bull's guidance for over two years, but a poor start to the Super Formula season saw him released, despite testing for Red Bull's F1 team earlier this year.
In his place at Team Mugen, O'Ward took a sixth-place finish in Okayama, after scoreless outings in Fuji and Motegi, seemingly not enough to impress Dr Helmut Marko, whom O'Ward claims would refer to him as "potato".
The Mexican told Racer: "My release from Red Bull was going to be November, but Dr. Helmut Marko called and said, 'Hey you have options in IndyCar, take it. That’s your future'. I really appreciated him doing that.
"It showed me the calibre of person that Dr. Marko is and why he has so much success. Huge respect for him and whole team. He cared about my future, that means a lot."
O'Ward is reportedly a target for McLaren's IndyCar team, which will enter the series next year.
His Super Formula seat will be filled by Juri Vips for the final round of 2019. The Estonian finished fourth in FIA Formula 3 this year, with three race wins to his name.
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
FIA confirm penalty verdict after official PROTEST
- 2 minutes ago
F1 star apologises after China Sprint CLASH
- 1 hour ago
Alonso reveals MISTAKE cost him in shock Red Bull battle - Top three verdict
- 1 hour ago
F1 star accuses team-mate of ‘crossing the line’ in battle
- 2 hours ago
F1 team lodge FIA PROTEST over Chinese Grand Prix qualifying result
- 3 hours ago
Hamilton in 's*** happens' outburst after huge China failure
- Today 11:57
Related news
F1 team announces 2026 title bid in BLOW to Red Bull
Wolff 'p*****' by Verstappen error as star makes Mercedes debut
Driver suggests Newey tempted by 'enticing' offer from F1 rivals
Red Bull boss Horner SHUTS DOWN F1 rival Wolff's title talk
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860