Fernando Alonso to miss Monaco GP and race in Indianapolis 500… and retired Jenson Button may replace him
FERNANDO ALONSO wil.l miss this year’s Monaco Grand Prix to take part in the Indianapolis 500.
McLaren’s lead driver will not take his seat in the F1 car for the season’s glamour race in Monte Carlo – with the full blessing of the struggling Honda-powered team.
Fernando Alonso is swapping F1 for the Indianapolis 500Rex Features
Instead he will link up with the Andretti-team in the IndyCar series and race in one of the world motorsport’s most famous events.
And that could lead to a shock return to Formula One for Jenson Button, less than six months after he ‘retired’ from racing.
Fernando Alonmso will race for Andretti in the IndyCar raceGetty ImagesAlonso will swap his McLaren F1 car to race in the Honda powered Andretti car at the Indianapolis 500Getty Images
Button took a year off from the McLaren driving team, which was expected to herald his retirement from the sport although the team opted to keep him contracted to them.
With Alonso’s sudden decision to try his luck in America, the Brackley-based team are now looking around for a temporary replacement and few would fit the bill better than former world champions Button.
The move is a shock development for McLaren after a poor start to the season which has seen them struggle to match the race pace of most of their rivals on the grid.
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The Andretti car Alonso drives in the race on May 28 will be branded a McLaren, in what could be the team’s first tentative steps into the American sporting series.
Alonso insists he will stay in Formula One for the remainder of the season in the struggling McLarem, although this move does hint his time with the team is coming to an end.
The 35-year-old Spaniard said: “Monaco will be the only 2017 grand prix I’ll be missing, and I’ll be back in the cockpit for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal in early June.
Jenson Button could now be in line for a surprise return to the F1 gridPA:Press Association
“I’ve never raced an IndyCar car before, and neither have I ever driven on a super-speedway, but I’m confident I’ll get to grips with it fast.
“I’ve watched a lot of IndyCar action on TV and online, and it’s clear that great precision is required to race in close proximity with other cars on the far side of 220mph.
“I’ll be flying to Indianapolis from Barcelona immediately after the Spanish Grand Prix, practising our McLaren-Honda-Andretti car at Indy from 15 May onwards, hopefully clocking up a large number of miles every day, and I know how good the Andretti Autosport guys are.
“I’ll be proud to race with them, and I intend to mine their knowledge and expertise for as much information as I possibly can.”
Jenson Button has been concentrating on triathlon events since giving up his race seat at McLarenGetty Images
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