Will Mick Schumacher soon face Fernando Alonso at the Indianapolis 500? – McLaren boss Zak Brown is keen to bring back the Formula 1 legend.
Fernando Alonso is still preparing for the Formula 1 season with Aston Martin. It could be his last season in the premier class of motorsport, as his contract expires at the end of the year. After that, he could return to the Indianapolis 500, if McLaren CEO Zak Brown has his way.
At the presentation of the IndyCar team for the season with regular drivers Pato O’Ward, Christian Lundgaard, and Nolan Siegel, as well as the fourth man for the Indy 500, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Brown emphasizes that he definitely wants to try again with Alonso.
For 2026, the focus is on veteran Hunter-Reay to win the race, Brown said in response to a question from Motorsport.com USA,
“But for after that, I talk to Fernando about it every time I see him. When he retires from Formula 1—this is his last contract year, but that doesn’t mean he won’t continue—I believe we have a car that can win the Indy 500. And I believe he has all the skills to win the Indy 500,” said the former racing driver.
“I really enjoyed the time he drove for us. He enjoyed it every year except one, but he loved the first year. I mean, it was magical. I’d love to see Fernando back with us at the Indy 500. That’s something I’ll continue to bug him about.”
What Brown is referring to: In 2017, on his Indy 500 debut, Alonso shocked the scene when he qualified fifth in his very first IndyCar race, led for 27 laps and was a realistic contender for victory until his engine blew up with 21 laps to go while he was in seventh place. The effort was a collaboration between McLaren and Andretti, which was the top dog team at the Indy 500 in those years.
Then came the low point in 2019. Without Andretti, with new aerodynamics (the universal kit had been introduced in 2018 and is still in use today) and in a solo effort with McLaren, Alonso failed to qualify for the race, which was limited to 33 cars. The scene was shocked again, this time at the other end of the spectrum. That’s the “except for one year” that Brown refers to. A final attempt followed in 2020, again with McLaren. While his teammate Pato O’Ward finished fifth, Fernando Alonso had a tough race and was lapped in 21st place. After that, he returned to Formula 1.
With two victories at the Monaco Grand Prix (2006 and 2007) and his two victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2018 and 2019), he still needs a win at the Indianapolis 500 to complete the “Triple Crown” of motorsport. Only Graham Hill has ever achieved this feat in history.
In recent years, McLaren has repeatedly entered prominent drivers in an additional car at the Indy 500. After Alonso, there were Juan Pablo Montoya (2021/22), Tony Kanaan (2023), and most recently two-time NASCAR Cup champion Kyle Larson (2024/25).