Andretti on Alonso’s Indy bid: Don’t believe what you read

Michelle Foster
Fernando_Alonso-smiling

Fernando_Alonso-smiling

Fernando Alonso will head to Indianapolis for this year’s Indy 500, at least that’s according to the team owner who wanted to sign him for the race, Michael Andretti.

Alonso was in talks with Andretti, wanting a one-race deal to line up for the Honda-powered team at this year’s Indianapolis 500.

Honda reportedly vetoed the deal at the 11th hour.

That, though, is not the full story.

According to Andretti, he was in negotiations with Alonso but they “could not” agree teams.

However, fans of the Spaniard need not worry as his Triple Crown bid is still on track, he just won’t be doing it with Andretti.

“You’re always working two deals at once, cause you never know which one is going to come through,” the American 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.”

The team owner did not name names but it seems Alonso could reunite with McLaren for this year’s Indianapolis race, driving for the Arrow McLaren SP team.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has revealed he is open to running Alonso in a third car alongside full-timers Oliver Askew and Patricio O’Ward.

“We want to make sure anything we do, we do it to be competitive,” Brown 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 (of possible drivers)… 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.”

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