Monday 12th November 2018

Alonso bids for 2019 Indy 500 win with McLaren

Two-time world champ still has his eyes set on the Triple Crown after F1

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Whatever your thoughts of Fernando Alonso, few would disagree that this is a racing driver who has not yet met his full potential. Not even two world titles, 32 wins and 97 podiums in Formula 1 do the immensely talented 37-year-old Spaniard justice. He knows this only too well, and has set his sights on motorsport's Triple Crown as a way of sealing his legacy - and this weekend he confirmed that he'll competing in his second Indy 500 next year.

Only Graham Hill has won the trio of events - the Monaco Grand Prix, Indy 500 and Le Mans - required to earn Triple Crown title. But Alonso's not far off, having moved has tally to two out of three this year by adding a first place finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans to his wins in Monaco (in 2006 and 2007). He came close to winning at Indy for McLaren last year too, but of course that Honda engine failure took him out of the running.

Alonso's a wise old head though, so rather than jumping ship and looking for a big change on his second attempt, he's embarking on Indy round two from the familiar surroundings of McLaren. With such an impressive race debut last year and, well, because he's Fernando Alonso, he probably had a list of opportunities presented to him for the event. But the soon-to-retire F1 driver said Woking's squad was always his preference.

"I'm especially glad to be returning with McLaren. This was always my first choice if the team decided to do it, so I'm delighted they've decided to go ahead," he said. "It's a tough race and we'll be up against the best, so it will be a huge challenge. But we're racers and that's why we race."

Will 2019 be the year Alonso becomes only the second driver ever to win the Triple Crown? You'd be mad to bet against it. Let us not forget that in 2017, with very limited oval experience, Alonso - then a rookie in Indy's books - led for much of his race and came so close to beating teammates Alexander Rossi and eventual winner Takuma Sato on his first ever go at the Brickyard. All he needs for his second attempt is a reliable car.

[big_rob_sydney]

As I understand it, the Le Mans win was a totally BS victory. LMP2 cars are literally not allowed to overtake LMP1 cars. There were only 2 LMP1 cars in the field, from the same team.

So Alonso only had 1 car to beat, who was a team mate...

What value is that win? Seriously, it's not worth the paper it's written on. And now he's after the "triple crown", an unofficial affair at best. I think this is just stupid. He alienated so many teams with his political games that he has become unwelcome. This is a talent wasted on gamesmanship and no better example of how NOT to do it.

Whatever he does in the US, I couldn't care less, and have no patience for his bullst.

[BrettMRC]

Not a fan then?

[SAS Tom]

big_rob_sydney said:

As I understand it, the Le Mans win was a totally BS victory. LMP2 cars are literally not allowed to overtake LMP1 cars. There were only 2 LMP1 cars in the field, from the same team.

So Alonso only had 1 car to beat, who was a team mate...

What value is that win? Seriously, it's not worth the paper it's written on. And now he's after the "triple crown", an unofficial affair at best. I think this is just stupid. He alienated so many teams with his political games that he has become unwelcome. This is a talent wasted on gamesmanship and no better example of how NOT to do it.

Whatever he does in the US, I couldn't care less, and have no patience for his bullst.

Yeah to be honest anyone could have won Le Mans this year. Well easy.

[mat205125]

SAS Tom said:

big_rob_sydney said:

As I understand it, the Le Mans win was a totally BS victory. LMP2 cars are literally not allowed to overtake LMP1 cars. There were only 2 LMP1 cars in the field, from the same team.

So Alonso only had 1 car to beat, who was a team mate...

What value is that win? Seriously, it's not worth the paper it's written on. And now he's after the "triple crown", an unofficial affair at best. I think this is just stupid. He alienated so many teams with his political games that he has become unwelcome. This is a talent wasted on gamesmanship and no better example of how NOT to do it.

Whatever he does in the US, I couldn't care less, and have no patience for his bullst.

Yeah to be honest anyone could have won Le Mans this year. Well easy.

I'm surprised big_rob_sydney wasn't asked to cruise the car home himself

[thegreenhell]

big_rob_sydney said:

As I understand it, the Le Mans win was a totally BS victory. LMP2 cars are literally not allowed to overtake LMP1 cars. There were only 2 LMP1 cars in the field, from the same team.

There were nine LMP1 cars in the race, but only two of them were factory entries.

[Dale487]

mat205125 said:

SAS Tom said:

big_rob_sydney said:

As I understand it, the Le Mans win was a totally BS victory. LMP2 cars are literally not allowed to overtake LMP1 cars. There were only 2 LMP1 cars in the field, from the same team.

So Alonso only had 1 car to beat, who was a team mate...

What value is that win? Seriously, it's not worth the paper it's written on. And now he's after the "triple crown", an unofficial affair at best. I think this is just stupid. He alienated so many teams with his political games that he has become unwelcome. This is a talent wasted on gamesmanship and no better example of how NOT to do it.

Whatever he does in the US, I couldn't care less, and have no patience for his bullst.

Yeah to be honest anyone could have won Le Mans this year. Well easy.

I'm surprised big_rob_sydney wasn't asked to cruise the car home himself

Its not like the lead car has broken down on the last lap before - completing Le Mans isn't as big an achievement it was when the race started but constant running for 24 hours, causes things (man & machine) to break & go wrong.

[Turbobanana]

Even if you ignore the talent, speed, reliability, organisation, fitness and support you need to win Le Mans, that still leaves the commitment and desire to do it.

Would Lord Hamilton do the same, if he somehow found himself not in the fastest car in the field?

Edited by Turbobanana on Monday 12th November 15:52

[MG CHRIS]

Considering Toyotas extremely bad luck at lemans over the year the move for Alonso to the team who has over the years been the most unlucky driver in f1 in changing teams at completely the wrong time it was a big ask for a Toyota/Alonso to actually win. Also he was nearly a lap behind the other Toyota by half way through the race he and his team mates deserved the race victory. Audi won many more leman races with even less in the way of competition and nobody ever remembers that.

[blearyeyedboy]

The comment "All he needs for his second attempt is a reliable car" does a disservice to the pool of talent in IndyCar racing, and to how no single team dominates in the same way as in F1. He's got an equally good chance compared to other drivers but to imagine that Alonso just needs a decent car to win is to grossly underestimate the challenge faced at The Brickyard.

Good on him for giving it a go, though.

[anonymous-user]

Dale487 said:

Its not like the lead car has broken down on the last lap before - completing Le Mans isn't as big an achievement it was when the race started but constant running for 24 hours, causes things (man & machine) to break & go wrong.

Exactly. Winning Me Mans isn't exactly a walk in the park.

[WonkeyDonkey]

big_rob_sydney said:

As I understand it, the Le Mans win was a totally BS victory. LMP2 cars are literally not allowed to overtake LMP1 cars. There were only 2 LMP1 cars in the field, from the same team.

So Alonso only had 1 car to beat, who was a team mate...

What value is that win? Seriously, it's not worth the paper it's written on. And now he's after the "triple crown", an unofficial affair at best. I think this is just stupid. He alienated so many teams with his political games that he has become unwelcome. This is a talent wasted on gamesmanship and no better example of how NOT to do it.

Whatever he does in the US, I couldn't care less, and have no patience for his bullst.

Even the last few years with Porsche and Audi racing, Toyota were never trying to beat them, they were trying to beat Le Mans.

They finally have won it, it's a shame that there wasn't any other manufacturer competitor but that has never been Toyotas problem. The problem has always been beating the track itself over 24 hours.

Just look at 2016 for example. I've never felt such heartbreak in motorsport. I'm glad they've finally rid their Le Mans curse.

[WhiteBaron]

Just putting it here because it bugs me...

Graham Hill described the triple crown as the WDC for F1, lm24 and indy 500. No mention of monaco

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&amp...

[anonymous-user]

WhiteBaron said:

Just putting it here because it bugs me...

Graham Hill described the triple crown as the WDC for F1, lm24 and indy 500. No mention of monaco

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&amp...

Ive always known it as Monaco, Indy 500 and F F1 WDC.

I’m guessing we’ll never have consensus

[Greg the Fish]

'McLaren' and 'win' in the same sentence? LOL.

[Car-Matt]

big_rob_sydney said:

As I understand it, ......

Unfortunately for you, you don't understand it........

[Turbobanana]

Greg the Fish said:

'McLaren' and 'win' in the same sentence? LOL.

Are we correct to assume you're quite young?

[Al U]

I like the way they say it won't distract from their F1 campaign, well even if it did could their results at the moment be any worse?

[Greg the Fish]

Turbobanana said:

Are we correct to assume you're quite young?

On the contrary. Though I feel those two words just don't belong in the same sentence in 2018.

[ntiz]

It has been a decade since the two words could be used together.

I hope he does go on to do it. I’m not really a fan of Alonso but he does deserve to achieve something more.

[Turbobanana]

Greg the Fish said:

Turbobanana said:

Are we correct to assume you're quite young?

On the contrary. Though I feel those two words just don't belong in the same sentence in 2018.

In the context of 2018 (or 2017, 2016, 2015...), fair enough. I kind of had in mind their exploits of the last millennium, and for that matter other disciplines (Can Am springs to mind). Multiple winners over the decades that have badly lost their way more recently.