The double F1 world champion has much to learn as he prepares to make his IndyCar debut. But his team have a proven record of crossover success
From now until this weekend, when the grid order is set for the 101st Indianapolis 500, most of the talk emanating from the track will be about practice – a discipline measured on the speed charts and through the marks on the Brickyard’s barrier walls. Of the 30-odd drivers hoping to challenge for the Borg-Warner trophy when the race goes green on 28 May, none will face more scrutiny than Fernando Alonso – who is skipping this year’s Monaco Grand Prix to try for the second stage of motorsport’s triple crown.
Maybe that scrutiny is a bit harsh for a rookie, especially one who has never raced on an oval. But Alonso, a two-time F1 world champion, is a singular breed of racer– “one of the best I’ve ever seen,” Gil de Ferran, the 2003 Indy winner, told the Guardian. Alonso’s talent shone through during his 4 May test at Indy – an internet-breaking event that, apart from a double aviaricide, was flawless.
Related: Fernando Alonso’s Indy 500 move signals new McLaren era under Zak Brown | Giles Richards
Related: Fernando Alonso passes first Indy 500 driving test at the Brickyard | Richard Williams
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