With two legs of motorsport’s Triple Crown now on his resume, Fernando Alonso is teasing a return to the Indianapolis 500 “soon”.
America’s most famous race is the final hurdle the Spaniard has to jump if he wants to join Graham Hill as just the second racing driver to complete the trifecta, which also includes the Monaco GP and the Le Mans 24 Hours, which Alonso secured at the first attempt this past weekend.
His first trip to the ‘Brickyard’ in IndyCar ultimately ended in disappointment as engine failure struck after leading on several occasions, but the 36-year-old is more than ready for another attempt.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s true the Triple Crown is on,” Alonso told Motorsport.com. “We have two, let’s see if we can achieve the Indy 500 soon.”
Given his growing discontent with the current state of F1, as his McLaren team remain mired in the midfield, some believe the double world champion could make a full-time switch to IndyCar as soon as 2019, with the British team reportedly considering an entry.
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During the weekend at Le Mans, another well-respected motorsport figure added his name to the list of those who see that as a possibility.
“Alonso has come and conquered Le Mans, along with his teammates, and not put one foot wrong as we’ve seen all through the race,” nine-time winner of the endurance race Tom Kristensen said.
“I think he also sees the chance to be world champion [in WEC], which means he will continue to drive until Le Mans next year – and I think he will do that.
“I would not predict that he stops in F1, but he’ll definitely be back at the Indy 500. Maybe he’ll do a full season.”