Formula 1: 5 current drivers who could compete in the Indy 500

Though IndyCar and Formula 1 are their own distinct series, the two share the high-speed nature of open-wheel racing.

As a result, several successful Formula 1 drivers have taken part in IndyCar over the years, including the Indy 500. Some notable drivers who have competed in both include Fernando Alonso, Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, Jacques Villeneuve, Juan Pablo Montoya, Marcus Ericsson, and plenty of others.

Given how many Formula 1 drivers have attempted to run the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" in the past, there could be quite a few more. Here are five possibilities.

1. Fernando Alonso

By committing his immediate future to Formula 1 with Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso continues to prove that age is just a number. Currently 42 years old, the Spaniard will be 45 when his new contract expires. 

While the chances are slim, Alonso could potentially make a return to IndyCar. He is not a foreigner to the series, having participated in the Indy 500 on three separate occasions: 2017, 2019 (did not qualify), and 2020.

With the Indy 500 and Monaco Grand Prix typically falling on the same weekend in May, logistics make it impossible to compete in both, shy of a weather delay. However, Alonso skipped the Monaco Grand Prix in 2017 and was in Indianapolis instead. He was with McLaren in Formula 1 at the time, and they partnered with Andretti Autosport to field his Indy 500 entry.

Though McLaren now run full-time in IndyCar, Alonso is no longer affiliated with the team. If he were to participate in the Indy 500 for a fourth time, it would likely only happen with another existing team, or if Lawrence Stroll enters Aston Martin into IndyCar.

Given Stroll’s ambitious nature, it is something that would not be out of the question, especially given the team's impending shift to Honda, one of two IndyCar manufacturers, in 2026.