McLaren invites Fernando Alonso to return to the Indy 500 in the future; CEO Zak Brown says the door is wide open for a new collaboration. The two-time world champion has already made three attempts to claim the legendary oval, but without success. With a win in the Indy 500 Alonso would become only the second driver in history to secure the coveted Triple Crown.
The Spaniard contested his three previous Indy 500 entries with support from McLaren and made the biggest impression on his 2017 debut. He qualified fifth that year, led 27 laps and was fighting for the win until engine trouble brought his race to an early end. Two more unsuccessful attempts followed in 2019 and 2020. Arrow McLaren has since beefed up its IndyCar programme with several big names, including Juan Pablo Montoya, Tony Kanaan and Kyle Larson. This year the team again opts for extra experience, with Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay joining as a one-off alongside the regular line-up of Pato O’Ward, Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel.
At the unveiling of McLaren’s new race centre on Wednesday, Zak Brown addressed his current squad’s chances and Hunter-Reay’s role. “To start with Ryan: I’m very glad he’s in the car this year,” Brown said. “He’s absolutely capable of winning the Indy 500, so I think our chances have improved.” According to the McLaren chief, that also underlines that the team is competitive enough to push for victory again; a key detail when the name Alonso comes up.
Triple Crown
The Spaniard, now 44 years old and in the final year of his current contract with Aston Martin, needs one more victory to complete the coveted Triple Crown in motorsport. So far only Graham Hill has managed to win the three most prestigious races in the sport – the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indy 500. Zak Brown said he regularly speaks with Alonso about a possible return to the Indy 500 and that the door at McLaren always remains open. “This is his final contract year with Aston Martin,” Brown said. “That doesn’t mean he’s stopping, but every time I see him, the Indy 500 comes up.”
Brown is convinced McLaren has a car capable of winning the American classic. “And I think Alonso is very much capable of that,” he added. “I loved it when he raced for us, it was truly magical. I’d like to see him race with us again in the Indy 500. I’ll be pestering him about it a lot more,” he concluded with a wink.
