Could Fernando Alonso and McLaren reunite once again for a third attempt at the Indianapolis 500 in 2020?
Well, that prospect has been hinted at after Andretti Autosport owner Michael Andretti suggested the double Formula 1 world champion has a plan lined up for the race this May.
Initially, it was understood Alonso had come to an agreement with the American for a seat before engine supplier Honda nixed the deal as it was set to be announced.
Now, Andretti has suggested the real story could be different.
“You’re always working two deals at once, cause you never know which one is going to come through,” he told IndyStar.
“We worked hard to get Fernando, but in the end, we couldn’t come to terms, and he ended up getting something he felt that could be a better fit for him and went that way.
“Don’t believe everything you’ve been reading.”
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If Honda did intervene, that means Alonso is left with only the Chevrolet-powered teams as potential options for another bid at completing motorsport's Triple Crown.
Already, Ed Carpenter has ruled out taking on the 38-year-old but McLaren's new full-time IndyCar team, Arrow McLaren SP, is still on the table and now CEO Zak Brown has opened the door to a third car entry.
“We want to make sure anything we do, we do it to be competitive,” he said. “We’ve got two young drivers, and they’re our priority.
“We need to make sure if we run a third car, it’s complementary and helping us with our bigger agenda. We won’t have a third car simply for the sake of having one.
“(Alonso) wasn’t previously on our list … but now he is. He’s obviously a mega-star and an immense talent that has already done one Indy 500, so it all goes back to making sure what we do is good for our two young guys.”
Last year, Alonso and McLaren failed to qualify for the Indy 500 with operational issues later revealed as the problem.
