Alonso enjoys 'special' first IndyCar road course test

Fernando Alonso enjoyed a "special" maiden Indy car test on a road course on Wednesday with Andretti Autosport, completing running at Barber Motorsports Park as momentum gathers for a potential move into IndyCar for 2019.

After making his Indianapolis 500 debut with an Andretti-linked entry in 2017, McLaren Formula 1 driver Alonso is considering a full-time move into the Verizon IndyCar Series after confirming over the summer he will not be racing in F1 next year.

The Spaniard is aiming to become just the second driver in history to complete the 'triple crown of motorsport', comprising the Monaco Grand Prix (which he won in 2006 and 2007), the 24 Hours of Le Mans (won in 2018) and the Indy 500.

As part of his ongoing considerations, Alonso took part in his first Indy car test on a road course on Wednesday, having only previously driven the Dallara DW12 car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indy 500 last May.

The test at Barber Motorsports Park saw Alonso get behind the wheel of an unbranded green and blue liveried car, and enjoy a variety of conditions throughout the day.

"It was a good day, a fun day. I love to test new cars and to test the INDYCAR on a road course is something special," Alonso said.

"I’ve been lucky enough to test it in wet conditions, in intermediate conditions and in dry conditions, so overall I had a good feeling on every type of track. The weather was good for us today – a little bit of wind in the afternoon but overall a positive day.”

Alonso revealed he had some opportunities to test on an IndyCar road course in 2017 following his '500 debut, but was unable to find the right time slot due to his F1 commitments.

"It was something that I was looking for last year already," he said. "I had some options to test the car on a road course after the IndyCar 500. We didn’t find the time but this year it’s definitely happened now and I’m happy for this.

"I love being behind a steering wheel, and definitely a new car, a new experience, learning a lot of things from the team, the engineers, everyone, so a happy day."

Alonso will return to racing action with F1 at the Singapore Grand Prix next weekend as he continues to consider his racing plans for 2019 that could see him enter the full IndyCar season, only the Indy 500, or neither.