Alonso to race at Indy

I think this needs it's own thread as it is currently split between two others.

So, why is he doing it?

Who will replace him at Monaco?

Will he come back?

Is this just Honda and McLaren trying to claw back some positive publicity?


and of course, how will he do?

 

I wonder if this has been on the table for a while and was down to competitiveness. If the mclaren (F1) isnt any good to start with then allow Alonso to go in the mclaren (Indy). This all takes planning and preperation and contract signing time. So If the mclaren (F1) was decent would Fernando still have done this or would another driver (JB) get the oppertunity.

Also Mclaren are looking at a Le mans project soon too?

 

Ron Dennis would never have allowed this.

 

So, why is he doing it? : personal ambition? nice to have... may do le mans next?

Who will replace him at Monaco? - button but seriously nobody else could or should as it would be a disaster.

Will he come back? - yes.

Is this just Honda and McLaren trying to claw back some positive publicity? - nope.

 

thought I would reply to your post here:

Alonso Has said he wants to go for the triple crown. He is already a 2x monoco winner and has plenty of time for Le mans in his later carear. Now is a good oppertunity to go for Indy500 while Andretti Honda are good.

If Monoco is Mclarens only hope of points in the season then that spells out the whole problem.

This isnt Alonso having a Jolly. This is so much more on many levels

 

I still say if he can step into a car and win day one in indy they might as well close the series

I know its a step down technically form f1 but really its a whole different challenge and no man can get in a radically different car and series and drive it for 500 laps and just win form the off. the yanks drivers might as well retire now if thats the case

 

oh and it does spell out the problem starkly. his team even allowing or supporting it while in thier state shows they are a joke now.

 

The way his career has gone it would be a fairly safe bet to say Alonso will crash out in the first lap.

 

a few quotes i think put it in context

Alonso said he had long held an ambition to win the so-called 'triple crown' of Monaco, the Indy 500 and Le Mans.

Only one man has won all three in his career - the late Graham Hill in the 1960s.

Alonso, who won the Monaco Grand Prix in 2006 and 2007, said: "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."

The Spaniard added he would definitely race for McLaren for the rest of the season, dismissing speculation he could quit part way through the year because of the Honda F1 engine's poor performance.

"It's of course a regret that I won't be able to race at Monaco this year," he said. "But Monaco will be the only 2017 grand prix I'll be missing, and I'll be back in the cockpit for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal in early June.

"I've never raced an IndyCar car before, and neither have I ever driven on a super-speedway, but I'm confident I'll get to grips with it fast.

"I've watched a lot of IndyCar action on TV and online, and it's clear that great precision is required to race in close proximity with other cars on the far side of 220mph [354km/h]."

Alonso acknowledged he would be on "a steep learning curve".

But he added: "I'll be flying to Indianapolis from Barcelona immediately after the Spanish Grand Prix, practising our McLaren-Honda-Andretti car at Indy from 15 May onwards, hopefully clocking up a large number of miles every day, and I know how good the Andretti Autosport guys are.


the race is on the 28th.... he has <2 weeks (13 days) to learn how to drive indy and zero experience on the track with other cars.




brave.

 

I see bones being broken............

Harsh to say I know, but it all seems very rushed.

With Alonso's concussion issues in recent years, does he really want to be risking going into a wall at 225mph?

 

They must have a driver prior to authorising Alonso? I also think it's strange rushing from the Barca race straight to the US, you would have thought he would have missed both races and given the new driver chance to get used to the new cars prior to Monaco?

 

The other thing is, didn't Honda say they hoped to have a new PU in the car by Spain!! That is 2 weeks before Monaco!!!!! So either Honda aren't going to have a new PU before Canada (when Alonso will be back) or they are predicting it wont fix all their issues!!!

 

I think this is fantastic. Let's be honest here, Alonso isn't going to crack any pots in that Macca at Monaco, but he'll have a very serious chance of being able to win the Indy 500 if he can get to grips with oval racing quickly. It takes balls to race on super speedways, and I think it's fair to say that Alonso isn't lacking in the plum dept.

I'm seriously excited about this.

 

Biggest loser here, Button. He's the likely candidate to race. Imagine if through some fluke he won.

 

Surely McLaren would have been targeting Monaco as a race where they could do well above all other tracks bar Hungry?

 

This is so exciting

No doubt in Alonso's ability to adapt he could drive a space shuttle.

 

Aka Buck Rogers

 

I think he just wants to race at the highest level he can with something that'll be competitive, I don't think racing drivers ever think about crashing, if they do it's time to hang up the helmet.

 

They do have a different mindset to us, very true.

I just fear this will not be the fairytale story they all want it to be.