O'Ward is undertaking a one-off outing in Formula 2 this weekend for MP Motorsport replacing the banned Mahaveer Raghunathan.

He finished 18th, two tenths off his teammate Jordan King, in Friday morning's free practice session.

The Mexican could be in line for a Super Formula seat, following Red Bull's split with Dan Ticktum, who was contesting a full programme in the series.

O'Ward is due to compete in three more IndyCar race this season with Carlin but confirmed that programme could be cut short due to a lack of budget.

In May it was announced O'Ward would not take part in the two oval events originally on his schedule, leaving Toronto, Mid-Ohio and Portland as the final races he is pencilled in for.

"I think there is some openings to do stuff in Europe because in IndyCar I'm not quite sure if I will be able to continue just based on budgets," O'Ward told Motorsport.com.

"I'm really going wherever Red Bull wants me to go and wherever they can locate me in a seat."

Asked about the rest of the season specifically, he added: "I think it's going to be a few more races in F2, I saw the article yesterday about possibly Super Formula, I think there are more opportunities to do either Formula 2 or Super Formula than continue in IndyCar.

"I have to take what I can get. I don't really have a secure ride for the rest of the season.

"It [Super Formula] is somewhere where I can get quite a bit of seat time and work on my technique and get better overall."

F2's Spa round clashes with the Portland IndyCar race on September 1, while Super Formula clashes with the Sochi F2 round in September.

While the move to Super Formula seems an obvious swap to replace Ticktum at Team Mugen, the path to a bigger F2 programme is less clear.

MP is expecting Raghunathan to return for the remainder of the season, leaving only possible seats at Trident Racing and Campos Racing as it stands.

Trident has signed Ryan Tveter for a one-weekend-deal only for Austria, while Arjun Maini has taken over Dorian Boccolacci's Campos-run machine in a deal which ends after the Silverstone round in July.

There is some confusion over the number of superlicence points O'Ward has, which will affect how quickly he would be able to step up to F1.

O'Ward explained his Red Bull deal was done with the aim of getting licence points as quickly as possible.

"Everything was signed based on the possibility of a Formula 1 seat," added O'Ward.

"I should have enough [superlicence points] but they don't want to count my Indy Lights points as in some races there were less than 12 cars.

"I can get a superlicence this year if I get 15 points. I don't know from where. The focus is to get the license points as quick as we can."

As well as his unclear Indy Lights points situation, there is confusion over whether his IMSA Prototype Challenge championship win warrants superlicence points.

Asked what his preference would be if he didn't get a superlicence during 2019, O'Ward said: "I think Formula 2 is a better way to go because I don't know any of the [F1] tracks, so it would be great practice to get to know the tracks and tyres at a Formula 1 event."

F1's current state is exactly what fans asked for

Austrian GP: Leclerc tops FP2 as Verstappen, Bottas crash

Aitken, Samaia make up Campos' F2 line-up

DiBenedetto intends to “turn heads” with Wood Brothers

The difficulty that helped define F1's newest addition

The stars Trackhouse should target for its NASCAR Cup plan

McLaren: Doubt over O'Ward's future is "unfounded noise"

Is Arrow McLaren SP ready for IndyCar’s title fight?

Liberty: Nice GP not designed to pressure Monaco F1 race

Aston Martin set for further F1 car upgrade at Silverstone

Szafnauer: Netflix cameras in meetings may boost F1

When 'rocket fuel' shot to an F1 title

Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons: Villeneuve and Leclerc

Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career.

How a 30cm metal wire triggered open warfare in the F1 paddock

Porpoising has become the key talking point during the 2022 Formula 1 season, as teams battle to come to terms with it. An FIA technical directive ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix and a second stay appearing on the Mercedes cars only served to create a bigger debate and raise tensions further

Does Max Verstappen have any weaknesses left?

Having extended his Formula 1 points lead with victory in Canada, Max Verstappen has raised his game further following his 2021 title triumph. Even on the days where Red Bull appears to be second best to Ferrari, Verstappen is getting the most out of the car in each race. So, does he have any weaknesses that his title rivals can exploit?

How F1's future fuels can shape the automotive sector

In 2026, Formula 1 plans to make the switch to a fully sustainable fuel, as the greater automotive world considers its own alternative propulsion methods. Biogasoline and e-fuels both have merit as 'drop-in' fuels but, equally, both have their shortcomings...

The breakthrough behind Sainz's best weekend of F1 2022 so far

OPINION: Carlos Sainz came close to winning in Monaco but needed that race’s specific circumstances for his shot at a maiden Formula 1 victory to appear. Last weekend in Canada, he led the line for Ferrari in Charles Leclerc’s absence from the front. And there’s a key reason why Sainz has turned his 2022 form around

Why “faster” Ferrari couldn’t beat Red Bull in Canadian GP

On paper the Canadian Grand Prix will go down as Max Verstappen’s latest triumph, fending off late pressure from Carlos Sainz to extend his Formula 1 world championship lead. But as safety car periods, virtual and real, shook up the race Ferrari demonstrated it can take the fight to Red Bull after recent failures.

Canadian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022

Plenty of high scores but just a single perfect 10 from the first Montreal race in three years, as Max Verstappen fended off late pressure from Carlos Sainz. Here’s Autosport’s assessment on the Formula 1 drivers from the Canadian Grand Prix

The in-demand helmet designer creating works of art for F1's best

GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV pays a visit to designer Jens Munser, to observe the production of Mick Schumacher’s special helmet for the Miami Grand Prix. What follows is some fascinating insight on the mindsets of Mick’s dad Michael, and family friend Sebastian Vettel