Indycar star blown away by F1 car

Indycar frontrunner Pato O’Ward has raved about his first experience of life at Formula 1 speeds.

The 22-year-old Mexican was handed the opportunity to test the orange-clad car in Abu Dhabi this week as a prize for securing a race win for McLaren’s sister Indycar team.

"I’m at a loss for words. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and an extraordinary experience," O’Ward is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"These cars are crazy. I was expecting something crazy, but it was multiplied by ten.

"I thought Indycars were fast but right from the first lap, as soon as I went out of the pits, I noticed a car that does everything you want."

However, he admitted the experience took its toll physically.

"My neck is destroyed," he smiled. "When I put the softs on and did the sequence of fast corners, I felt like my head was about to come off.

"It’s a completely different reality than any other car out there - the best racing car experience of my life. Nothing comes close to that."