IndyCar refugee Patricio O'Ward has said he did not turn down Michael Andretti's eight-race deal to race for Andretti Autosport.
Andretti confirmed to AutoWeek earlier this week he had made the offer to the young Mexican, but it was turned down due to O'Ward seeking a full-time ride.
That came off the back of O’Ward leaving Harding Steinbrenner Racing, having initially intended to compete in the 2019 season with the nascent operation.
The 19-year old won the Indy Lights championship with the Andretti Autosport outfit; this came with the prize of a $1m scholarship which is meant to pay for a minimum of four races, including the Indianapolis 500, the following season.
Andretti's offer would have extended beyond the reach of his scholarship prize, which could potentially have meant the 1991 CART champion would have run the Mexican at a loss to his own team.
However, O'Ward believes Andretti's IndyCar offer was not a priority to take up and admits he is still seeking alternative options up and down the paddock for 2019.
"I've always been grateful to Michael Andretti and his team," O'Ward told IndyCar.com.
"Honestly, I never thought we would end up in this situation. I have a lot of respect for him and I'll always be grateful for what he helped me with last year in Indy Lights.
"The truth of the matter is that I can't talk about what happened with me and Harding and my release, and Michael knows the situation that I'm in. I had to sign a confidentiality settlement agreement in order to get released.
"Michael knows all the facts because we spoke on the phone many times last Friday, and it sucks that I can't talk about it, but we both know the truth.
"There are reasons why (the Andretti ride) wasn't the priority offer to take. I wanted to see what options I had, but I never did. I never said no to Michael's eight-race offer. Unfortunately, this whole thing has left me without a ride, but I won't give up in trying to find something."
"It's important to have a good chance, I just don't want to go and drive. I want to race."
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