Fernando Alonso, Alpine, Spa-Francorchamps, 2021

Indy 500 return “always in the list of wishes” for Alonso after F1

2021 Belgian Grand Prix

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Fernando Alonso says his focus is on F1’s upcoming 2022 regulation changes, leaving the triple crown challenge for the future, although the Indy 500 remains on his “list of wishes.”

Alonso began pursuing the motorsport ‘Triple Crown’ of victories in the Monaco Grand Prix (which he achieved twice, in 2006 and 2007), Le Mans 24 Hours (also achieved twice by Alonso, in 2018 and 2019) and Indianapolis 500, which he is yet to win despite attempts in 2017, 2019 and 2020.

Having committed to race for Alpine in 2022, Alonso said that F1 – and particularly the upcoming regulation changes – were his top priority.

“My main focus and my full dedication is to the F1 project, especially with the new rules and all the work that we will have to do into next year,” said Alonso in response to a question from RaceFans.

“In the future, I will see at the moment I’m enjoying myself in this comeback. I think I’m performing now to a level that I’m happy with, from Baku, then Silverstone for sure, Hungary. So I hope to show and to improve a little bit more now in the second part of the season and into next year.”

However Alonso said he is open to an Indy 500 return. “[For] the future I will see, if it’s still linked to F1 or I will try different things.

“For all the challenges that I attempt outside Formula 1, Indy is still not completed. So it will be always in the list of wishes. But at the moment my full dedication is to F1.”

Alpine today confirmed Alonso will remain for them next year, as was widely expected. The two-times world champion said it had been a straightforward decision.

“In my head, it was all planned for 2022 and the new regulations, that’s probably the reason why I came back to the sport as well, for next year,” he explained. “But then, you need to have also the trust of the team and you need to to execute good races in the first part of the season.

“So it was not in doubt but the contract was ‘one plus one’ so at one point we have to agree for 2022. And I’m very happy with the team, I’m very happy with the comeback and I’m looking forward so much to next year. And the team apparently is happy as well with my job so far. So we took one minute to to make the decision.”

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13 comments on “Indy 500 return “always in the list of wishes” for Alonso after F1”

  1. Why not create a new precedent?

    Maybe go to Formula E and win that.

    1. I think part of the point is winning prestigious events. Sadly, FE is nowhere near being that. It could be soon if they make some minor changes to that championship. But I think for the most part, it’s not taken very seriously.

    2. The Triple Crown is about races, not championships, so he’d need to win the most prestigious Formula E race, the one everybody dreams of winning… which is…. which is the race at…. Maybe he could try to win the Dakar Rallye?

      1. I know what you’re both saying but it just feels like Alonso is trying desperately to prove that he is “one of the greatest of all time”.

        My thought was: if you want to define yourself and be of historical significance, go in a different direction.

        1. That is what he did, he went and did Prototype racing, Indycar and Dakar rally. what more you want? he is not desperate, otherwise he would not have come back to f1 in a midfield team.

      2. The prestigious FE race everyone dreams about is the Aldi Car Park GP in Manchester. It’s big feature is a Ferris wheel the cars drive through while it’s turning.

    3. Or how about the Tour de France? That would be different, and still in his wheelhouse. (I’ve always been a Surtees fan, and this would be a modern near-equivalent, in my book.) Winning the Indy 500 isn’t really what it used to be at it’s peak. Sure, it’s international, but it’s not really a global race like Monaco or LeMans. If more (current) F1 drivers were encouraged to participate, I would change my mind.

      1. No, it’s only the oldest auto race in the world, and the largest single day sporting event on earth. It had the same attendance this year as the full capacity British GP and was limited to 40% capacity. A full house brings in over 300,000 people for race day. No other event on the planet does that.

      2. yes, it is still very prestigious.

  2. Win at Indy and this guy will be right up there with greats like Fangio, Clark, Senna and Schumacher.

    1. hes already up there with those guys but. he won 2 championships against Schumacher.

  3. (@sonnycrockett) going for the triple crown is already going in a different direction. No one since probably Mario Andretti has decisively tried to complete it, and only one guy in history has done it. Alonso pushing hard for that Indy500 having done everything else is as a very rare thing.

  4. does the triple crown also count if you win LMP2 at Lemans? because Montoya had a chance to do that last week.

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