After failing miserably last year – unable to qualify – McLaren will try their luck again with Fernando Alonso at the Indianapolis 500 in May 2020.
Fernando Alonso had qualified fifth for the race in 2017 and was competitive for McLaren until a late-race engine failure quashed their efforts. After electing not to try to qualify in 2018, McLaren returned with Alonso for last year’s race – only to unceremoniously be bumped from the race at the last minute.
The 2020 race will be the two-time Formula One champion’s third attempt at the race as he desperately seeks motorsport’s Holy Grail – the so-called ‘triple crown’ of winning F1’s Monaco Grand Prix, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500. If he were to succeed, the 38-year-old Spaniard would be only the second man in history to do so – along with Graham Hill.
For 2020’s effort, McLaren has joined forces with the Schmidt Peterson team to create a new team called Arrow McLaren SP, which will be a two-car team featuring Mexican Patricio ‘Pato’ O’Ward and American Oliver Askew for the majority of the IndyCar racing season, with Alonso glomming on to the Indy 500 portion of the season for the pursuit of his quest.