Alonso Missing Monaco to do Indy 500

[jamiebae]

Dr Z said:

Quickmoose said:

Mr_Thyroid said:

jamiebae said:

Surely they'll move heaven and earth to get JB in the car.

There's no point in putting an unmotivated driver in the car particularly around Monaco - you've got to be committed to skimming those barriers to do well. We've seen with Giovinazzi how a young rookie with one moderately good performance can get people chattering.

Ironically of course, for McLaren, Monaco is probably the worst race for Alonso to miss as it's their best chance of a decent result.

They're best chance of keeping up.
I hope it won't be , but I feel it might be one of the worse processional races given the larger cars...on a tighter track.
dunno, a few gung ho manoeuvres maybe... but either way it's not going to matter to McLaren's championship status or position.

Safe pair of hands and just drive around keeping out of the walls... I doubt McLaren care much about scoring a few points by scraping into the top 10, if the car remains so unreliable and uncompetitive by then. And I doubt JB would want to drive it, if it was.

From what I've seen, the car is pretty good and if Honda solve some of the major issues they're facing with the next PU planned for Russia/Spain I can see them at the top of midfield...may be nipping at RBR. Alonso would want to be in the car then...JB gets a chance to test the car/feedback/evaluate the upgrades.

Monaco is THE BIGGEST PR session of the year, by far. All the CEOs from the sponsors and partners will be there (and there are a lot more of them than the blank spaces on the car suggest). Most low-level sponsorship in F1 is about getting access to hospitality, drivers and other high rollers rather than brand exposure to the general public, and a meet-and-greet with Noboharu Matsusta is hardly going to get the boss of Chandon or SAP going.

Sad though it might be I just can't see how they would get away with putting a driver even more junior than Vandoorne in the car for Monaco of all races. It's a shame Andre Lotterer is a Toyota driver in Super Formula or he'd be a great choice to put in the car.

[Pickled]

Mr_Thyroid said:

There's no point in putting an unmotivated driver in the car particularly around Monaco - you've got to be committed to skimming those barriers to do well. We've seen with Giovinazzi how a young rookie with one moderately good performance can get people chattering.

Ironically of course, for McLaren, Monaco is probably the worst race for Alonso to miss as it's their best chance of a decent result.

But there's no pressure on JB so he can just go out and have fun even if the car is crap it's still an opportunity to drive something that very few will ever get - maybe they could get Brundle in it...

[thegreenhell]

Perhaps they should offer the drive to Justin Wilson's brother, Stefan, who's giving up his Indy drive to Alonso? I know it won't actually happen, and I doubt he qualifies for an F1 Superlicence, but it would be a nice gesture.

JB seems the obvious choice in reality.

[Crafty_]

FourWheelDrift said:

"'ello, Eric Boullier speaking"
"ooo hello Eric, it's Paul Di Resta here..."
<silence>
"Hello? Eric? Eric?"
<click>

To be fair, Paul wouldn't be a bad option. The reason sky have picked him up is Davidson is busy with WEC and Paul is around anyway as he's Williams reserve. There are worse around certainly.

I suspect Fred had McLaren over a barrel on this - if they hadn't let him, he'd walk. As it is it might put them in a slightly better position to renew his contract should they want to.

Good for him though, I wonder if he's going to drive the car before qualifying?

I'm not sure its a good idea for Button to take the seat for Monaco unless he gets some time in the car. Given his need for perfect balance at all times and lack of experience with the car he could struggle.

[FourWheelDrift]

Jenson's message - https://twitter.com/JensonButton/status/8521962706...

[FW18]

I can't see Button coming back, as he seems to have mentally checked out of F1 racing. Safe to say whoever will have the seat will be taking part in the test after the next race.

[suffolk009]

Brilliant idea, all around.

And all the people posting about how Alonso has stuffed it to McLaren/got them over a barrel - have you actually read the McLaren press release? He is driving an Andretti-Honda. It will be branded a McLaren for the race. This is a McLaren and Honda plan. I suspect this is Zak Brown and the McLaren/Honda team thinking about McLaren's motorsport future beyond just F1.

As for who will drive at Monaco, I'd be amazed if it wasn't JB.

[Vaud]

suffolk009 said:

Brilliant idea, all around.

And all the people posting about how Alonso has stuffed it to McLaren/got them over a barrel - have you actually read the McLaren press release? He is driving an Andretti-Honda. It will be branded a McLaren for the race. This is a McLaren and Honda plan. I suspect this is Zak Brown and the McLaren/Honda team thinking about McLaren's motorsport future beyond just F1.

As for who will drive at Monaco, I'd be amazed if it wasn't JB.

I agree... why not make it a regular thing? Keep Monaco but downgrade it to a non-championship race or half points?

[suffolk009]

Vaud said:

suffolk009 said:

Brilliant idea, all around.

And all the people posting about how Alonso has stuffed it to McLaren/got them over a barrel - have you actually read the McLaren press release? He is driving an Andretti-Honda. It will be branded a McLaren for the race. This is a McLaren and Honda plan. I suspect this is Zak Brown and the McLaren/Honda team thinking about McLaren's motorsport future beyond just F1.

As for who will drive at Monaco, I'd be amazed if it wasn't JB.

I agree... why not make it a regular thing? Keep Monaco but downgrade it to a non-championship race or half points?

No, that wasn't really my point. I'm quite happy with Monaco. Love it as an event, I know the racing is mostly in Qually, but there's nothing else on the calendar that excites me quite as much.

I hope McLaren do expand into racing beyond F1. Indy, GT/LeMans, it's all good to me.

Edited by suffolk009 on Wednesday 12th April 18:42

[768]

Really hope we get to see JB back even if he just drifts it round at the back and parks it in a wall.

Quite something that they've let Alonso do this, won't it affect the battle for the championship?

[Vaud]

suffolk009 said:

No, that wasn't really my point. I'm quite happy with Monaco. Love it as an event, I know the racing is mostly in Qually, but there's nothing else on the calendar that excites me quite as much.

I hope McLaren do expand into racing beyond F1. Indy, GT/LeMans, it's all good to me.

My bad, I implied my idea to be yours

I love Monaco as well.

[Drive Blind]

I'll mibbie now watch the indy 500 for the first time ever.
How hard can it be, just going round in circles... ?

[AXlawrence]

Weird how sudden this all was, no rumours at all...

Would love to see Nando do well, though, looking forward to it.

[Z3MCJez]

Drive Blind said:

I'll mibbie now watch the indy 500 for the first time ever.
How hard can it be, just going round in circles... ?

Not very. Just about hard enough to crash when leading by 2 seconds in the final corner!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KySJzJwP8fs

JR Hildebrand, 2011.

Takuma Sato also crashed going for the lead on the last lap in 2012, but that's slightly more understandable given he was actually fighting for position (and he's Takuma Sato).

Jez

[Crafty_]

AXlawrence said:

Weird how sudden this all was, no rumours at all...

Would love to see Nando do well, though, looking forward to it.

Apparently it was joked about in Australia, became a reality this week.

https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/alonso-ind...

[aeropilot]

FourWheelDrift said:

Jenson's message - https://twitter.com/JensonButton/status/8521962706...

I love the comment from someone pointing out that Monaco is the same weekend as the WRX at Lydden Hill, and to tell JB to come and have some fun rather than be in Monaco
Have to agree with that, would rather see JB in a guest drive at Lydden than driving that old nail around the principality....

[Alex Langheck]

I've loved seeing some of the outrage on Twitter from people unaware there is a motorsport world outside of F1.....

[Simes205]

P1GTR at LM next year??

[epom]

Simes205 said:

P1GTR at LM next year??

Don't be daft, they wouldn't be able to hide their lap times there

[Otispunkmeyer]

Some Gump said:

Why do peopl think of Monaco as the jewel in F's crown? Bling aside, it's a st event. Boring as hell every year, unless it rains enough that everyone but a Tyrell crashes (and these days they'd just run it under safety car instead).

Its total turd isn't it. And the cars are wider this year so it'll be even harder to make a move.

I realise why its on the calendar but they should do something else with it. Make it a non-championship race (perhaps chance to try some new ideas?) or something. Or maybe do it as an exhibition type event, like Goodwood. Everyone gets a few goes round the track at full pelt, on fumes. Best aggregate of times wins. Rest of the event is like a motor show... people can go down into the paddock and get up close etc, go see yachts, generally have a good time.