Brown doubts Alonso wants full-time McLaren IndyCar seat
Zak Brown doubts Fernando Alonso will want to commit to a full-time programme in IndyCar for 2020 when McLaren enters the series.
McLaren announced last week it would be returning to IndyCar in 2020 as part of a new partnership with Chevrolet and the existing Schmidt Peterson Motorsports team, entering two cars to the full-season schedule and a third for the Indianapolis 500.
Zak Brown doubts Fernando Alonso will want to commit to a full-time programme in IndyCar for 2020 when McLaren enters the series.
McLaren announced last week it would be returning to IndyCar in 2020 as part of a new partnership with Chevrolet and the existing Schmidt Peterson Motorsports team, entering two cars to the full-season schedule and a third for the Indianapolis 500.
Alonso remains part of the McLaren family as an ambassador and was part of its failed attempt to qualify for the Indy 500 this year, and is widely expected to take up the third car for next year’s race in a bid to complete his ‘triple crown of motorsport’.
However, it looks unlikely that Alonso will take up one of the full-season seats with McLaren for 2020, with McLaren Racing CEO Brown saying he doubts the two-time F1 world champion is looking for such a sizeable programme.
“I'll be seeing Fernando at the Italian Grand Prix. He's well aware of everything that's going on with our IndyCar activities and has been for some time,” Brown said.
“I don't think his desire to win the Indy 500 has diminished at all. He has not shown an interest, yet, I should say, in a full season of IndyCar. He's coming off of 20 years of lots of racing and I think he wanted to take the second half of this year off to see what he wants to do in the future.
“I think he would be an outstanding talent in IndyCar. I personally think, knowing him as well as I do, and his driving style, he'd be immensely successful and welcomed and would enjoy it.
“But Fernando is the type of individual that you put the opportunity in front of him and let him make his decision.
“I'll be picking that up with him in about a month's time, but I would not anticipate in 2020 him having a desire to do a full season.”
Alonso is currently without a firm racing programme following his last appearance for Toyota’s LMP1 team at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, but is expected to enter next year’s Dakar Rally with the Japanese manufacturer.
