Alonso geared up for rookie Indy 500 race

TWICE Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso surprised himself with his qualifying success for Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, but the Spaniard knows his biggest challenge will come on race day.

Alonso, racing on an oval track for the first time, averaged more than 370km/h to qualify fifth fastest for a place in the second row in the 33-car field at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “I was a bit surprised,” the 35-year-old Alonso said. “When we announced to come here one month ago, we did it without knowing how competitive we could be, if I was able to adapt to oval racing, to these cars.”

A lack of experience may cost him on the biggest day of US racing when a champion will be crowned after 200 laps of the massive 4km oval, but Alonso is geared up for the chance.

“You respect the place, respect the speed. You respect your colleagues out there but at the end of the day, when you are in your car and close the visor, you would like to have one mile per hour more. It’s never enough,” he said.

While Alonso passed the entrance exam with flying colours in qualifying, he knows the hardest test is to come.

“The biggest challenge I will face is in the race when you are running in traffic, those groups of cars that form in the race. It changes completely the behaviour of the car.

“You feel the car very loose. We’ve been practising that with the team, trying to create our own groups because we are six cars.

“I still lack experience in important moments of the race. I will try to compensate with the speed, with motivation and we will see what happens.”

Alonso said timing his moves may be a guessing game.

“Taking the opportunity to overtake and to pass will be a difficult decision to make.

“You have to stay calm, be ready for the last onethird of the race. That is where it comes.”

Alonso said the race demanded a balance between pushing the limit and not crossing the line into recklessness.

“With no experience, for me you are not sure sometimes where you are with that line – if you are over the limits of the car, or over the limits of running with the traffic,” he said.

Yet there is no place Alonso would rather be on race day. – Reuters

ý The race will be televised live on SuperSport2 from 5.30pm on Sunday.