Indy 500: Where does Honda rejection leave Fernando Alonso?

By Asher Fair | Feb 3, 2020

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 26: Fernando Alonso of Spain, driver of the #29 Chandon Honda prepares to drive during Carb day for the 101st Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on May 26, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

Because of Honda’s last-second disapproval, it does not look like Fernando Alonso will be back with Andretti Autosport for the 104th running of the Indy 500 this May. Where does that leave him?

Two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso was all set to return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for another attempt to become the second driver to win all three races of the “Triple Crown of Motorsport”.

Alonso, who made his IndyCar and his Indianapolis 500 debut in May of 2017 season driving the #29 Honda via a partnership involving IndyCar powerhouse Andretti Autosport and his then-Formula 1 team, McLaren, was slated to return to Michael Andretti’s team for the 104th running of the 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) superspeedway in Speedway, Indiana this May.

The 38-year-old Spaniard was again set to drive the #29 Honda in this race but no involvement from McLaren, which officially cut ties with him two weeks ago.

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But all along, there was speculation that because Alonso and Honda’s relationship had soured during their rough three-year stint together with McLaren in Formula 1 from 2015 to 2017, a stint that notably included Alonso’s infamous “GP2 engine” remark in the Japanese manufacturer’s home race, this would not happen.

With that being said, even amid mounting speculation, that did not appear to be an issue.

Now, however, Honda have rejected this deal at the last minute, and Alonso still does not appear to be welcome back with the manufacturer in any capacity.

This means that, like last year when he was still with McLaren, his only options appear to be Chevrolet teams for this year’s running of the race.

When McLaren and Alonso attempted last year’s Indy 500, which ultimately resulted in an embarrassing failure to qualify, they were forced to do so with a Chevrolet-powered #66 car. They formed a technical alliance with Carlin, which happened to field the other two cars that failed to qualify for the race.

A lot of this had to do with Honda’s ill feelings toward McLaren, as evidenced by the fact that Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports were forced to end their contract with Honda a year early when they partnered with McLaren to form Arrow McLaren SP full-time ahead of the 2020 season.

Evidently, it also had to do with Alonso, despite the fact that Alonso was competing for Toyota Gazoo Racing in the World Endurance Championship at the time, so naturally Toyota wouldn’t want him in a Honda regardless.

He did, in fact, test an Andretti Autosport Honda at Barber Motorsports Park in September of 2018, but the car notably did not have any Honda logos on it.

So where does this leave Alonso now with just over three and a half months remaining before this race and the landing spot that seemed almost certain now out of the picture?

The eight Chevrolet IndyCar teams slated to compete in some capacity in 2020 are A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Arrow McLaren SP, Carlin, DragonSpeed, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, Ed Carpenter Racing, Juncos Racing and Team Penske.

However, many of them are already full.

Team Penske, by far the most attractive option considering the fact that they have won 25 of the 51 races since the 2017 season began and they are the only Chevrolet team to find victory lane during this span, have ruled out a fifth car, with team president Tim Cindric saying that there is a “zero percent chance” of them adding an entry when discussing the possibility of doing so for two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch.

Ed Carpenter Racing, with which McLaren almost partnered to field an entry for Alonso last year, all but ruled out a fourth car, with team owner Ed Carpenter saying that 2020 may not be the right time to do it, also in reference to a potential entry for Busch.

Arrow McLaren SP stated in August that Alonso had a ride with the team if he wanted it. But that was also several months before he and McLaren cut ties just two weeks ago.

The only Chevrolet teams with nothing confirmed for the 2020 season are Carlin and Juncos Racing. After McLaren and Alonso’s failed Carlin partnership for last year’s Indy 500, it’s hard to see Alonso going back there, and Juncos Racing, which ironically knocked Alonso out of last year’s Indy 500, have not even confirmed an Indy 500 entry.

Anything else would have to come via an additional entry, and none of A.J. Foyt Enterprises, DragonSpeed or Dreyer & Reinbold Racing are in a good position to pull that off at this point.

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NBC is set to broadcast the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 live from Indianapolis Motor Speedway beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 24. Will Fernando Alonso be in the field for the first time in three years, and if so, for which team will he be driving?