Michael Andretti: IndyCar Ready To Welcome Fernando Alonso

Andretti Autosport chief Michael Andretti is hoping Fernando Alonso chooses to quit Formula 1 and make the switch to the IndyCar Series in 2019, but, admits a lot of things will have to fall into place for that to happen.

The Spaniard looks to be on the brink in Formula 1 after spending recent seasons battling at the wrong end of the grid as McLaren first struggled with Honda and their fortunes have not improved too much since switching to Renault power units in 2018.

Alonso is keen to win races and challenge for the F1 title, but he has been unable to do that since leaving Ferrari after the 2014 campaign. His last win came in 2013, while the second of his two Drivers’ championships came in 2006.

McLaren’s struggles have coincided with Alonso losing faith in Formula 1 — in 2017, he skipped the Monaco Grand Prix to race at Indy500, while in 2018 he is committed to a full season in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). His future in F1 remains unclear as he nears the end of the contract.

McLaren are keen to retain him, but have also spoken about the idea of running a team in the Indy Series to accommodate his desire to win the Indy500 and thus become just the second person to achieve motorsport’s fabled Triple Crown, which entails winning the LeMans 24-hours (won in 2018), the Monaco Grand Prix (2006, 2007) and the Indy500.

Alonso drove the 2017 Indy500 with the Andretti Racing team and the owner revealed they had made an offer to the Spaniard to drive at least part of the season in 2018, but it was declined. Despite the talk about Alonso to IndyCar dying down in recent weeks Andretti revealed that McLaren chief Zak Brown will approach the subject with the double world champion during the ongoing F1 summer break.

“It was put to Alonso if he wants to do a partial season and he said no. If he does it, he wants to do the whole thing or not at all,” Andretti said, as quoted on Grand Prix 247.

Andretti is keen for Alonso to join his team and do a full season in IndyCar, but admitted they will need a decision from McLaren before the end of the month, as they will need time to ensure they can put together a competitive package for the Spaniard to immediately start challenging for wins.

“There are still a lot of things in the air; a lot of things still have to happen. We are getting to a critical time and we have to get some things done in the next week or so,” he added talking about Alonso and McLaren. “They have to get their driver situation settled. Is Fernando going to stay? Is he going to go? Is he going to come here? Is he going to stay in Formula 1? Is he going to retire? What is he going to do?”

“Zak has to work on his Formula 1 plan and he has a lot to work out there, but we’ll see what is going to happen.”

“For me, I would love to have Fernando because he was a joy to work with. We had a lot of fun at Indy and I think we would have a lot of fun doing this all year long,” he explained. “It would create a buzz, and a buzz is something you can’t buy. It would go back to like it was when Nigel Mansell came over. It feels like the early 1990s when things started to go for IndyCar. The timing of Fernando coming to IndyCar could help set it off.”

“I think IndyCar is primed and ready for something like that to happen,” Andretti added.

The last person to switch from F1 to IndyCar was Mansell in 1993, the same year he went on to win the title in the United States, which was just one year after winning the F1 Drivers’ title.