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F1 champion Fernando Alonso to run 2017 Indianapolis 500
Fernando Alonso is choosing Indianapolis over Monaco.
The Honda McLaren Formula 1 driver said Wednesday he’ll be driving a sixth Andretti Autosport car in the Indianapolis 500 on May 28. Andretti Autosport is powered by Honda, which makes it a seamless transition on the engine manufacturer side for Alonso’s move.
“I’m immensely excited that I’ll be racing in this year’s Indy 500 with McLaren, Honda and Andretti Autosport,” Alonso, 35, said in a statement. “The Indy 500 is one of the most famous races on the global motorsport calendar, rivaled only by the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Monaco Grand Prix.”
Alonso won back-to-back F1 titles in 2005 and 2006 while driving for Renault. Widely considered one of the best drivers in the series, Alonso has finished 17th and 10th the last two years as McLaren has struggled to keep up with Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.
Alonso’s IndyCar appearance will also mean it’s the third-straight year where he’s missed a race on the F1 calendar. McLaren said it would announce Alonso’s replacement for the race in “due course,” and it stands to reason that Jenson Button would be considered for Alonso’s ride. The former F1 champion retired from full-time competition at the end of 2016 though he remained with the team and a team release made it obvious that Button could return to compete. He was replaced full-time in 2017 by Stoffel Vandoorne.
While the Coca-Cola 600 and Indy 500 double attempts of NASCAR stars Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch drew a (relative) ton of attention in the United States, Alonso’s appearance in the Indy 500 is a much bigger deal throughout the world given Formula 1’s international presence. The last time a Formula 1 champion raced in the Indianapolis was in 2014, when 1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve competed in the race. Villeneuve won the 1995 Indianapolis 500 and the 1995 CART title before he moved to Formula 1 in 1996.
Alonso said in a Formula 1 article that he wants to win at Monaco, Indy and Le Mans. He’s already won at Monaco and had previously hinted that he wanted to run the Indy 500.
“I’ve won the Monaco Grand Prix twice, and it’s one of my ambitions to win the Triple Crown which has been achieved by only one driver in the history of motorsport: Graham Hill. It’s a tough challenge, but I’m up for it. I don’t know when I’m going to race at Le Mans, but one day I intend to. I’m only 35: I’ve got plenty of time for that.”
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of Dr. Saturday and From the Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
