Zak Brown has told Fernando Alonso that if he wants another shot at the Indianapolis 500, he needs only knock on his door.
McLaren has regularly run an extra car in its Indianapolis 500 programme, paving the way for Alonso, and more recently Juan Pablo Montoya, Tony Kanaan and Kyle Larson, to appear in the event.
A fourth Indy 500 bid for Fernando Alonso?
This year, 2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay is making a return to the Brickyard with the papaya team where he’ll team up with regular McLaren drivers Pato O’Ward, Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel.
46-year-old Hunter-Reay said at the time: “This is an incredible opportunity in so many ways. I’d like to express my gratitude to Zak, Tony and the rest of the Arrow McLaren management team for pursuing this partnership and making it a reality.
“It is an honour to represent and drive for one of the most iconic teams in motorsports history, an organisation that spares no effort or resource in the pursuit of being the at the pinnacle of the sport and of course, winning the Indy 500.
“After coming so agonisingly close to a shot at the win in last year’s 500, I am beyond primed and ready to make the absolute most of this partnership.”
But while Hunter-Reay is booked in for this season in the fourth Arrow McLaren, CEO Brown is open to having double F1 World Champion Alonso try his hand again next season.
Alonso contested the race in 2017, skipping the Monaco Grand Prix during a trying season for McLaren. He qualified P5 and led 27 laps but was forced to retire when his Honda engine let go.
He tried again in 2019 during a sabbatical from Formula 1 but failed to qualify for the 33-car field. A year later he was 26th on the grid, but a clutch issue left him outside the top ten.
I think we’ve got a car that can win the Indy 500. And I think he’s very capable of winning the Indy 500. I thoroughly enjoyed racing with him here. He enjoyed it all but one of the years, but loved the first year. I mean, it was magic.
“I’d love to see Fernando back at the Indy 500 with us. That is something I’ll continue to bug him about.”
A Le Mans winner, Alonso has made it clear that while a fourth Indy 500 bid could be an option, he’s uncertain. He’d also like to try his hand at the Dakar Rally.
“There are always things to be achieved,” Alonso said on Aston Martin’s official website in 2024. “Formula 1 is my focus right now. I would love to win the Formula 1 World Championship with Aston Martin – it would be the highlight of my career and probably my life.
“Winning the Dakar Rally is still on the wishlist. The Indy 500, of course, but I’m not sure if I will do it again in the future.