Alonso to shift gears from F1 to Indy 500

With a grin of excitement, Fernando Alonso explained how his crash course for the Indianapolis 500 will include watching old footage on flights between Formula One races.

The two-time F1 champion will compete in IndyCar for the first time next month and skip the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix.

That doesn’t give the 35-yearold Spaniard much time. He has three F1 races for McLaren — in Bahrain, Russia and Spain — before he makes his IndyCar debut May 28 in Indianapolis.

“I’m not ready at the moment, but the next couple of weeks I’m confident I can adapt,” Alonso said Thursday at the Bahrain GP. “I’m not in my comfort zone driving those cars or thinking of those cars. But I’m not afraid of trying.”

Alonso’s motivation is part of a wider ambition that also includes the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race.

“If I want to win the triple crown I have to make the first step this year. It’s a win-win situation. It’s good for Formula One and this big market in North America we’ve been pursuing for many years,” Alonso said. “It’s good to go to America and showing this respect to IndyCar. Inside the McLaren team, to be racing at the same time in Monte Carlo and Indy 500, it’s an amazing thing.”

Alonso is still widely considered among the best drivers in F1, but has not won a race since 2013. Insiders blame it on the car.

Despite his advancing age and the ongoing frustrations, Alonso still has a burning ambition to distinguish himself as one of the best drivers of all time.

“There were two options. The first is to win another six F1 titles, one more than Michael (Schumacher), and I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Alonso said, laughing. “The second one is to win different series in different years. That’s very challenging and very attractive.”