INDIANAPOLIS — Fernando Alonso couldn’t be kept away from Indianapolis in May. Not by an ongoing dispute with Honda, not by a contract falling through with Andretti, not by a shrinking list of viable Chevy seats, nor the agonizing way he exited IMS as part of a failed qualifying effort with McLaren a year ago.
Fueled by the desire to become the second motorsports driver to achieve the world-wide triple crown, Alonso returns to IMS this May backed by the revamped team that was alongside him for one of the biggest disappointments of his career a year ago. Arrow McLaren SP announced Tuesday that the 38-year-old Spaniard will drive the No. 66 car, sponsored by Ruoff Mortgage, as the team’s third entry for this year’s 500 alongside 23-year-old IndyCar rookie Oliver Askew and 20-year-old Patricio O’Ward.
“Clearly, we have some unfinished business with Fernando around Indy,” said McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown. “We’re excited for the tension he brings to the sport, which is good for IndyCar, our racing team and our partners.”
Added team co-owner Sam Schmidt: “Fernando needs to be in the 500, and he needs to have an opportunity to win. Now combined with Chevy, we feel like we can get it done.”
Alonso has already won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Monaco Grand Prix, needing only the Indianapolis 500 to join Graham Hill in winning motorsports’ triple crown.
Brown and Schmidt affirmed that talks with Alonso had been on-going for some time, though they were initially fighting an uphill battle against Andretti Autosport. Team owner Michael Andretti didn’t shy away from publicly stating his team’s desire to field Alonso in a car for the second time after his crew partnered with McLaren in the two-time Formula One champion’s debut at the 500 in 2017.
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