Field roots against Formula One driver
Alonso invades Indy 500 race
INDIANAPOLIS – Fernando Alonso is the right guy to be here, the crossover Formula One star drawing an entirely new fan demographic to the 101st Indianapolis 500.
He’s just the wrong guy to win.
And if that’s not clear enough, try this: Fernando Alonso is the last driver some IndyCar insiders want to see win on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He’s the worstcase scenario, at least for those on the inside of the sport: other drivers, other teams — not counting Andretti Autosport — even the IndyCar circuit itself.
Michael Andretti acknowledges what I’m trying to tell you:
“They want him to be competitive,” Andretti told The Indianapolis Star, “but not win. I wouldn’t say the same thing.”
Well, of course he wouldn’t say that. A win Sunday for Alonso would be a win for Andretti Autosport, its third Indy 500 victory in four years. But it’s like I was saying earlier, and like Michael Andretti was saying just now: Nobody else in the paddock wants Alonso to win. They want him to be competitive, but not win.
Who is “they”? Other drivers. All of them I spoke with, and I spoke with several, though only one was willing to say it with his name attached. No big surprise who that was: Graham Rahal will say whatever he thinks. And this is what he thinks:
“Is (Alonso) the guy you want to see win?” Rahal was asking me rhetorically the other day in his garage. “For us — no.”
Rahal went on to say other things, nice things, about Alonso. And we’ll double back to that in a moment. But the reason Alonso is the wrong guy, the last guy who needs to win this race, is primal. It’s about competition and ego and bragging rights. These are the most alpha of alpha males, the ones who climb into four-wheel rocket ships and dare death at 230 mph, but there are two open-wheel circuits atop that food chain and there is debate about which circuit — and therefore which group of drivers — is No. 1.
Last month, three-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton was talking about his rival, Alonso, when he said this bit of blasphemy about the 2017 Indianapolis 500:
“For sure he will be the best driver in the paddock.”
It’s entirely possible the greatest driver of all time is an IndyCar guy, Mario Andretti, the only driver to win the Indy 500, Daytona 500 and a Formula One world championship. But it has been nearly 40 years since Andretti won a Formula One race, and no U.S. driver has won one since.
Meanwhile, Formula One drivers, who race nothing but street courses overseas, keep coming to the Indianapolis and winning.
Two-time Formula One champion Graham Hill of made his U.S. debut at the 1966 Indy 500 ... and won.
Jacques Villeneuve wasn’t even good enough to be a Formula One driver when he came in 1994 ... and finished second in the Indy 500. He had been on various F1 developmental series before joining CART in 1995 — and won the ’95 Indy 500 despite incurring a two-lap penalty for the most novice of reasons: He didn’t know he was leading when the race went to caution, and he passed the pace car. Twice. The history is beautiful if you’re a Formula One fan, ugly if you prefer IndyCar, and undeniable either way. And here comes Fernando Alonso, trying to make it two wins in a row for a Formula One driver.
Back to Alonso. His turn now, and the world is watching. When he made his Indy 500 practice debut on May 3, more than 2 million fans were streaming it live on Facebook or YouTube. IndyCar officials have brought him to more news conferences than any other driver simply to meet the media demand. Other drivers are routinely asked about Alonso, and they are growing tired of it.
When A.J. Foyt Racing’s Conor Daly, Carlos Munoz and Larry Foyt spent nearly 16 minutes at a news conference last week without being asked about Alonso, Daly rose from the podium and delivered this bit of walk-off snark:
“What, no questions about Fernando?”
At another news conference, Rahal was sitting alongside Spanish driver Oriol Servia when a reporter started to ask:
“Oriol, you’re well familiar with Fernando Alonso, you’re friends with him. How much time ...” Rahal interrupted. “He’s the only guy racing here, isn’t he?”
And Rahal likes Alon-England so. This is what he told me a few days ago when we were talking about the only guy racing here, I mean, Alonso:
“All I can say and all I can hope is that we will see more of Fernando here in the future. It’d be great to have him.”
Well, that’s part of the problem. He might not come back again, even if he wins. Maybe even especially if he wins. Alonso, 35, is here not because he wants to try his hand at the IndyCar Series. He’s here for this race, and only this race. His stated goal is to win the triple crown of racing: the Monaco Grand Prix, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Indy 500. He has two wins in Monaco.
He’s not just a Formula One driver. He’s one of the biggest names over there.
If Alonso wins Sunday, he goes back to finish the season with Formula One — leaving IndyCar, still trying to claw back into prominence, to continue the 2017 season without being able to promote the guy who won its biggest race.
No, for the good of the IndyCar Series, Fernando Alonso doesn’t need to win the Indy 500. Not this year.
Problem is, he’s so good that he just might.