Fernando Alonso, McLaren, IndyCar, Texas Motor Speedway, 2019

Alonso: Plan to start IndyCar season in May looks “optimistic”

IndyCar

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Fernando Alonso says IndyCar’s plan to begin its delayed season in May looks “optimistic”.

The McLaren driver is due to participate in this year’s Indianapolis 500, which has been postponed from its original May date to August. Other race date changes due to the pandemic have left the Detroit double header in two months’ time as the new season-opener.

“It is tough to imagine the 30th of May being the first race on the new calendar,” said Alonso in an Instagram chat. “Hopefully this is happening, but it may be a little bit optimistic.”

Alonso intended to attend the series’ event at Barber Motorsport Park, which was due to go ahead this weekend, before it was cancelled.

“My plans were initially going to the sim in Charlotte for a couple of sessions and then to Barber to watch the race there and then the Indy 500 preparations,” he said. “Now it’s not happening in May, fingers crossed in August, we will see [everyone] there.

“Now with the team, with McLaren, trying to figure out a little bit of the new calendar and the new simulation sessions that Chevy will open hopefully soon. We are in standby, it’s the same for everybody. So waiting here at home, trying to do some fitness and some exercise.”

The cancellation of the first four races has cut IndyCar’s 2020 schedule from 17 races to 13.

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Revised 2020 IndyCar calendar

RoundDateEvent
130/05/2020Detroit (race one)
231/05/2020Detroit (race two)
306/06/2020Texas Motor Speedway
421/06/2020Road America
527/06/2020Richmond
604/07/2020Indianapolis Grand Prix
712/07/2020Toronto
818/07/2020Iowa
909/08/2020Mid-Ohio
1023/08/2020Indianapolis 500
1130/08/2020Gateway
1213/09/2020Portland
1320/09/2020Laguna Seca

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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3 comments on “Alonso: Plan to start IndyCar season in May looks “optimistic””

  1. Dont see how Indycar season will start before Aug at earliest

  2. We just hope there’s some sort of season now. The virus can’t go away soon enough. Fingers crossed for a vaccine & other treatments soon.

  3. He never touched a simulator in his years in Ferrari… is he going to be the first time?

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