(Reuters) - Patricio O'Ward was left in tears after he was overtaken by American Josef Newgarden on the final lap of Sunday's Indianapolis 500, denying him the honour of becoming the first Mexican to win the race.
"It's hard to put into words," said a tearful O'Ward, who took the lead into Turn 1 on the final lap before Newgarden swept past his Arrow McLaren in Turn 3 to claim victory.
"I'm proud of the job we did today. We went back and forth, some people were driving like maniacs. And we came so close.
"I put the car through things I never thought I'd be able to do. It's so painful when you put so much into it and you end up two laps or two corners short," added O'Ward, who also finished second in 2022.
"It's always a heartbreak when you're so close and it's not the first time and you don't know how many chances you have."
O'Ward thanked the crowd for their support at the finish and added that he felt at home in Indianapolis and that he would improve for next year.
"I'm going to keep getting better, do the same thing again and see if we fall on the right side next time," he said.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
