Perez: O'Ward can 'race against the very best in the world'

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Sergio Perez reckons Pato O'Ward has the talent to race with the best drivers in the world as he praised his countryman for his IndyCar win last weekend in Detroit.

O'Ward scorched to his first victory in the US series at the Texas Motor Speedway last month, an achievement that earned him a Formula 1 test with McLaren in Abu Dhabi at the end of the year.

But the Arrow McLaren SP driver's win at Belle Isle propelled him to the top of the championship standings, and it also capped off a productive week for Mexico that had kicked off with Perez's win in Baku.

"I think it was great," said the Red Bull driver. "In two weekends, we got a win in Formula 1 and then a win in IndyCar, so that’s great for our country.

"To be honest, I think Pato is a great talent. It’s just a matter of how different IndyCar is to Formula 1, and how quickly he can adapt to Formula 1.

"Certainly, I think he has the talent to race against the very best drivers in the world."

Ironically, O'Ward was recruited by Red Bull and briefly added to its roster of junior drivers in 2019, racing twice in the FIA Formula 2 Championship and in three rounds of the Japanese Super Formula series before he was dropped by the energy drink company.

O'Ward joined Arrow McLaren SP in IndyCar in 2020 and finished fourth in the championship, snatching four podiums along the way.

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