Formula One: Fernando Alonso eyeing Indianapolis 500 return in 2019?

While a return to the race in the 2018 IndyCar season is not an option, Formula One driver Fernando Alonso hasn’t ruled out racing in the 2019 Indianapolis 500.

In April of 2017, two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso announced that he would be making his IndyCar debut in the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500 with McLaren, his Formula One team. McLaren’s entry in the race would be their first following a 38-year absence from the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”.

McLaren and Andretti Autosport partnered to field Alonso, 36, in the #29 McLaren-Honda Andretti Autosport Honda. The Spaniard would go on to qualify in 5th place for the race and lead 27 laps before an engine failure on lap 180 of 200 would end his day and cause him to finish back in 24th.

The primary reason why Alonso gave up driving in the Monaco Grand Prix, the staple on the Formula One calendar, on Memorial Day Sunday in 2017 to come to Indianapolis to race in the Indy 500 was because of mounting frustration with the lack of reliability and overall lack of competitiveness in his Honda-powered Formula One car.

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At the time of the Indianapolis 500, Alonso had competed in four of the five Formula One races held in the 2017 season. He failed to finish the first three and finished in 12th place in the fourth one, which is definitely not where a two-time champion wants to be. 2009 Formula One champion Jenson Button replaced him at Monaco.

It was widely speculated that due to this mounting frustration on Alonso’s, McLaren were going to have to make a switch to get rid of Honda engines for the 2018 season to get Alonso to stay.

When they announced their switch to Renault engines following three seasons of using Honda engines, Alonso still did not sign a new contract right away, but that contract eventually came. Several weeks later, an Indianapolis 500 run in 2018 for McLaren, and thus Alonso, was ruled out.

However, don’t rule out a run in the 103rd edition of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” for Alonso in 2019 just yet. He recently made clear that racing in the Indianapolis 500 next year is a definite possibility, according to Motorsport Week.

Here is what Alonso had to say on the matter.

"“The main focus and priority is Formula 1 and winning a third world championship. I think this year with McLaren we have a good opportunity to show how good is the team with the Renault power unit, we should be back to the top places. That is the main focus.“To race in some iconic events during the season and not disturb Formula 1 is also the plan,” he added. “Doing this race [Daytona] is also some kind of first step in endurance and how these races are and how much I enjoy these races.“After the 24 hours at Daytona, I will have a better understanding of these championships. Le Mans 24 hour and the triple crown is another target, so if I can fit the Le Mans 24 hour this year as I’m not doing the Indy 500, that would be great. Hopefully the following year, the Indy 500 can be in the plan again.”"

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Will Fernando Alonso make an Indianapolis 500 comeback in the 2019 IndyCar season in an attempt to not only finish the race for the first time but win it? A lot has to happen before we will know for sure, as there are still more than 16 months to go until Sunday, May 26th, 2019, the race’s provisional date.

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