O'Ward, who is currently contesting a part-time IndyCar schedule with Carlin after triumphing in feeder category Indy Lights in 2018, was announced as the latest addition to the Red Bull Junior Team on Thursday.

The 20-year-old has been a regular on the American single-seater racing scene since 2015 but, speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, O'Ward confirmed he believes an opportunity in grand prix racing could be on the cards.

“Things moved pretty fast,” O'Ward said. “There might be a [F1] chance soon. I'm very proud of what I've managed, but I also want to thank Trevor Carlin because he opened the door to IndyCar for me, and that opened the door to F1.

“It's something very big, but I'm ready, I have faith in what I can do. We know that if I get the results, I have what it takes to reach F1; arrive and succeed. The idea is to go straight into F1.”

Patricio O'Ward, Carlin Chevrolet Photo by: Jake Galstad / LAT Images