In test, Alonso taking first spin on Indy’s oval
How tough will it be for Fernando Alonso to win this month’s Indianapolis 500?
Consider the case of Simon Pagenaud. The defending Verizon IndyCar Series champion is roundly considered one of the best, most complete drivers in the series, if not the world.
Yet on Saturday at Phoenix Raceway, in his sixth season as a full-time driver, the Frenchman scored his first career victory on an oval.
It was a monumental and emotional triumph for Pagenaud, who had started his career 0-for-28 on ovals.
“It took a few years,” Pagenaud said. “But, unfortunately, we don’t race on ovals that much. We only race I believe like five ovals a year. When you don’t have any background on oval racing, not even Indy Lights, it was difficult to learn the job and learn what it took to win a race on an oval.
“So understanding the strategy, understanding placement of the car with the turbulences, compared to the guy in front of you, is very difficult to understand.”
It was almost as if Pagenaud was speaking directly about the difficulty of what Alonso will try to do May 28.
In what will be very limited experience in an Indy car, the Spaniard will try to score his first career oval victory on attempt No. 1. And unlike Pagenaud’s win Saturday, there won’t just be 20 other cars on the track — there will be 32.
But before Alonso gets to 33, he’ll start with one. Wednesday, the two-time Formula One champion will be the only driver humming around Indianapolis Motor Speedway as he attempts to find his Indy car sea legs.
Saturday, Pagenaud spoke for the racing world when he said he’s eager to see how Alonso fares.
“I’m excited to see what he does,” Pagenaud said with a wide smile. “I’m excited to see what he says after that.”
Alonso repeatedly has acknowledged that his learning curve will be steep. In terms of Indy-car experience, the F1 star has deemed himself “less than a rookie.”
He’ll need to figure out everything, big and small — from dealing with traffic, restarts and race strategy to finding the right seat and pedal positions.
“May 3, that will be one big step forward,” the McLaren driver told The Indianapolis Star at the Alabama Grand Prix. “Now all I can do is just guess. The seat position, the pedal position, I need to learn to feel comfortable for the race that is longer (than I’m used to) and demanding physically. I think May 3 will be a huge a step forward in terms of understanding the race itself.”
Alonso said Wednesday’s test will add perspective to all the research he’s been doing. The world champion said he has been watching previous 500s to better understand the challenges that lie ahead.
“Even watching the videos after May 3, I will (be) watching them differently, because I will know what they are feeling in that moment,” Alonso said.
In terms of feeling cozy in the car, that largely will be the responsibility of 500 teammate Marco Andretti. The Andretti Autosport driver will shake down the car for Alonso in the morning and “make sure he has a good, comfortable balance for his first run.” After that, it’s all Alonso. Wednesday’s test is to begin at 9 a.m. ET and run through 5 p.m. IndyCar has invited fans to watch from Turn 2.