planetf1.com

No indication as to what engine he will be using.

https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news ... 9/3211661/

When Alonso did this in 2017 was it broadcast on sky in the UK? I seem to remember watching some of it but can't remember where

All Indycar races were (and currently still are) on BT Sport or ESPN but I think that is changing for 2019.

It was on BT Sport I think or one of the ESPN's anyway. I think it'll be the same again but the TV rights are about to come up again soon I think but not sure, I read on another forum Alonso had bought the rights for Spain but some of the Spanish rags are the worst out there like Diario Gol and Marca so I dunno if that story came from there or not.

Engine wise I think Andretti tweeted something that made it look like they'll be involved with Honda but I also read links to Ed Carpenter Racing which is Chevy so still not confirmed.

The rumour a few weeks ago before we had any news was no full season but a 500 appearance with McLaren-Andretti Honda so it's 2 out of 3 so far with no full season and the 500 so I'll lean toward Honda.

_________________
"Clark came through at the end of the first lap so far ahead that we in the pits were convinced that the rest of the field must have been wiped out in an accident."
-Eddie Dennis, describing the dominance of Jim Clark in the Lotus 49 at Spa 1967

Just saw elsewhere Andretti deleted the tweet that said it'll be similar to 2017.

_________________
"Clark came through at the end of the first lap so far ahead that we in the pits were convinced that the rest of the field must have been wiped out in an accident."
-Eddie Dennis, describing the dominance of Jim Clark in the Lotus 49 at Spa 1967

Now we just need JPM to enter Le Mans next year in a competitive car, win it, and beat Nando to the triple crown

A youtuber by the name of david land. who is pretty knowledgeable and keeps up to date with the ins and outs of Indy car had mentioned that Michael andretti maybe a little annoyed and may not link up with McLaren because when andretti sent the tweet out a couple months ago about the probable link up with McLaren and Alonso. This was catagotically denied at the time. Which got Michael's back up. It was around the time when Michael said they had till i thinn it was the end of September too make a decision.

Alonso and McLaren have also tiddled off Honda alot. And from what I can make of things. Honda's USA branch wants too link up with Alonso and McLaren. But McLaren and Alonso have burned and mud slinged Honda so much in Japan with the formula 1 engine. That the Japanese seem to be getting involved in not allowing it too happen.

Maybe McLaren can link up with chevy. And maybe work together to build a McLaren built engine for 2020.
I can't remember if they work with Honda. But I did also here McLaren working with Schmitt racing as well. But i am thinking that's a collaboration between Schmitt and andretti.

That would mean that Alonso wouldn't win the Indy 500 next year and Jpm win or man's next year.

I've heard it will be with Chevrolet, the Honda bridge is well and truly burned.

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PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: 7th place

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (6)

With McLaren going to Indy on their own as a one off (for now) I wouldn't be putting money on them winning it whoever you stick in the car! If they were competing as a rebranded Andretti like last time I'd think differently however

I'll be there!

_________________
PICK 10 COMPETITION (4 wins, 14 podiums): 3rd in 2016
TOP THREE CHAMPIONSHIP (No Limit Excedrin Racing): Champions in 2015 & 2018 | 2nd in 2017
AUTOSPORT GP PREDICTOR: 2017 USA & P-F1 Champion | #2 in the world in 2017

Interesting, Mclaren (As United Autosports) and Andretti are co-owners of a V8 supercar team, along with Walkinshaw.
If there’s any tensions, the next team meeting could be awkward

Forgive me. I thought Tom walkinshaw died like 5 years ago. Or has his company carried on through his son or something

The question I find myself pondering is; does any of this actually add to his legacy in the way he intends? Honestly, I'm interested to know what others think about this. The idea of winning the "Triple Crown" is appealing and all but, in practice, is it really something that changes the way you think of a driver of Alonso's caliber? When he won at LeMans, it was a bit of an anticlimax. You expected him to win (especially with the fact that the Toyota was in a league of its own). The Indy 500 is much less predictable but, again, winning that race wouldn't really change my perception of Alonso as a driver the way winning another WDC would. Anyone feel differently about that?

I'd say it'd be a nice feather in the cap. It would be a pretty rare accomplishment. Some f1 fans might not change their perception of him if he does it, but it would also bring him some massive recognition for those who don't follow F1 that closely. I personally think it would be cool for him to do it. That's really all he can do at this point anyway; the doors to F1 success are almost completely shut for him.

The triple crown only really became a thing recently when Alonso decided to make it a thing, Graham Hill is the only driver to do it but I would say he is more well known for being a 2 time F1 WDC.

_________________
PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: 7th place

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (6)

Mario Andretti not only won a Formula 1 race... he won twelve F1 races AND the 1978 World Driver's Championship.
Mario Andretti not only won the Indy 500... he also won four Indycar Championships
Mario Andretti won several World Sportscar Championship races, winning 1 Daytona 24 and 3 Sebring 12hr races. He competed at LeMans across 4 decades, his best finish was 2nd in 1995 (at age 55)
Marion Andretti won the 1978-79 Int'l Race of Champions (IROC) series
Mario Andretti won several NASCAR races, including the Series' premiere event, the 1967 Daytona 500
Mario Andretti raced in the Can-AM series in the late 60's and early 70's.
Mario Andretti won numerous races in the USAC Sprint car series.
Mario Andretti won numerous races in the USAC Midget car series.

Mario Andretti often won races and multiple championships across multiple disciplines in the same (or consecutive) years. I'd like t see his frequent flyer mileage statement throughout his career.

Andretti and Dan Gurney are the only two drivers to have won races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR. Is that a "Quadruple Crown?"

Point is... It's these kinds of accomplishments that create an actual legacy in racing worth mentioning. Fernando Alonso can do these one-off races for his personal satisfaction, which I am sure is his primary motivation. Because Andretti's 109 racing victories (across all categories) is 3-times more (and then some) than Alonso's 33 (32 F1 and one LeMans to date).

Indeed, Nando could race another 20 years and not accomplish half of what Andretti did.

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Short-time member, Life-Long Fan from 1965 -- More than 550 Grand Prix recorded since 1982 (all but 3), and counting...

For me, yes. Not so much the Triple Crown specifically - although it will put him in a category of two in the record books, far more exclusive than the number of F1 WDCs - but racing in and being competitive in other disciplines, particularly one that's so much a graveyard of F1 talent as IndyCar.

I don't rate his Le Mans win very highly, however. His driving was excellent, but it's not worth any more than a WDC where you only beat your teammate - and I don't rate those very highly either.

_________________
PICK 10 COMPETITION (4 wins, 14 podiums): 3rd in 2016
TOP THREE CHAMPIONSHIP (No Limit Excedrin Racing): Champions in 2015 & 2018 | 2nd in 2017
AUTOSPORT GP PREDICTOR: 2017 USA & P-F1 Champion | #2 in the world in 2017

Yeah I would say that is more impressive than what Alonso is trying to achieve.

_________________
PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
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2017: 9th Place
2018: 7th place

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (6)

I think it would be more impressive for Alonso to become IndyCar champion than to win the 500, honestly. The 500 - while a great spectacle and a truly difficult race - is also quite a lottery. If he could be F1 champion, LMP1 champion and IndyCar champion, I believe that would put him alone in that category. And championships are worth more than race wins.

_________________
PICK 10 COMPETITION (4 wins, 14 podiums): 3rd in 2016
TOP THREE CHAMPIONSHIP (No Limit Excedrin Racing): Champions in 2015 & 2018 | 2nd in 2017
AUTOSPORT GP PREDICTOR: 2017 USA & P-F1 Champion | #2 in the world in 2017

I agree.

_________________
PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: 7th place

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (6)

I would agree if the Le Mans championship was more than a formality...

Well it was specifically to being Indycar champion having more weight than winning the Indy500.

_________________
PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: 7th place

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (6)

In that case I do agree!

It won't make any difference to his F1 legacy obviously but as a racing driver overall it would help it a lot for obvious reasons being competitive in multiple series highlights the adaptability of his skills. Doing things not many have done and being competitive will always enhance your legacy more than just thinking he could be competitive in other series, he's out there doing it so it will enhance that overall racing driver legacy like Clark and Andretti have especially as multi discipline champions.

I think as Exediron says though that championships at each level would enhance it even more than the triple crown which is just a rare feat highlighting the adaptability of the driver in marquee races and the marquee series in F1.

I don't think winning another F1 title does that much tbh unless it was against Lewis in a straight fight. Its not like there's unanswered questions there, he's been in all the situations you can think off and generally shone so outside a straight fight with Lewis again that he happened to win I don't think there's any gain there. If McLaren had a dominant car this year and he was getting multiple poles and wins and an easy title against Stoff what does that actually tell you that you didn't already know? It does nothing for me personally unless it was a fight against Lewis in equal cars and that's not on offer so enhancing your legacy in other ways is probably the right move. Seb has twice the F1 stats of Alonso but half the reputation, the extra stats alone wouldn't do much for Alonso at this point I feel.

I actually hope he doesn't win the 500 next year as I fear he wouldn't bother trying a full season and I think the multiple title thing would be pretty cool so I'm in a tough spot as a fan because I don't actually want him to win it next year, I want him to do a full season,lol.

_________________
"Clark came through at the end of the first lap so far ahead that we in the pits were convinced that the rest of the field must have been wiped out in an accident."
-Eddie Dennis, describing the dominance of Jim Clark in the Lotus 49 at Spa 1967

I don't think Conway,Lopez and Koba have given up just yet, they won Fuji last time out.

_________________
"Clark came through at the end of the first lap so far ahead that we in the pits were convinced that the rest of the field must have been wiped out in an accident."
-Eddie Dennis, describing the dominance of Jim Clark in the Lotus 49 at Spa 1967

I do think that actually winning the championship in the IndyCar series would be a big achievement. It wouldn't so much speak to his level of talent but it would say a lot about his ability to adapt because that series is substantially different from F1. It's been a long time since top F1 drivers have even competed in IndyCar and even longer since one of them has won the series. I think that would be more impressive than taking the 24 hrs the way that he did. I think Alonso drove brilliantly at LeMans but I don't think that the field presented any challenge to Toyota.

He will be racing Marcus Ericsson then.

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Correct, the team was being run by Ryan, and last year he brokered a deal where Andretti and United Autosports bought in, creating Walkinshaw Andretti United

He'll also be racing a fair number of people who are quicker than Marcus Ericsson...

_________________
PICK 10 COMPETITION (4 wins, 14 podiums): 3rd in 2016
TOP THREE CHAMPIONSHIP (No Limit Excedrin Racing): Champions in 2015 & 2018 | 2nd in 2017
AUTOSPORT GP PREDICTOR: 2017 USA & P-F1 Champion | #2 in the world in 2017

Marshall Pruett's last couple of podcasts have spoke about some of the goings on and in summary he's saying it will be Chevy powered and its all agreed behind the scenes. Issues both ways between Honda and McLaren rather than Honda and Alonso is why they'll use Chevy and Alonso wants to do it with McLaren so that's why he'll run Chevy.

McLaren think the venture will pay for itself and won't interfere with the F1 side. (Chris Medland)
Alonso had offers from other teams but wanted to run with McLaren. If McLaren didn't come he'd have taken one of those offers up. (Medland)
Andretti will offer some technical assistance like 2017.
Could well be a two car team but no hint who the 2nd driver could be.


So basically the story back in September that McLaren wanted Chevy and Honda had no issue with Alonso himself seems true.

_________________
"Clark came through at the end of the first lap so far ahead that we in the pits were convinced that the rest of the field must have been wiped out in an accident."
-Eddie Dennis, describing the dominance of Jim Clark in the Lotus 49 at Spa 1967

Bob Fernley to lead McLaren IndyCar team.

https://www.mclaren.com/formula1/team/m ... t-indycar/

_________________
"Clark came through at the end of the first lap so far ahead that we in the pits were convinced that the rest of the field must have been wiped out in an accident."
-Eddie Dennis, describing the dominance of Jim Clark in the Lotus 49 at Spa 1967

He's a good bloke.

_________________
PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: 7th place

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (6)

Yeah can't argue with the job he's done at Force India and looks like he's got some NA racing pedigree as well. I think the F1 team could've done with him tbh, maybe with Ferran heading up the Indy team instead but I'm sure there are reasons they've done it this way around and I'm sure he'll do a great job.

I wonder if McLaren are using Indy next year to lay the groundwork for a full team and full time entry to Indy in 2020 maybe.

_________________
"Clark came through at the end of the first lap so far ahead that we in the pits were convinced that the rest of the field must have been wiped out in an accident."
-Eddie Dennis, describing the dominance of Jim Clark in the Lotus 49 at Spa 1967

I'm not sure because Alonso apparently doesn't want to do the full series, he doesn't like the cars.

_________________
PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: 7th place

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (6)

That's the rumour anyway but I was more thinking of McLaren doing it with or without him, Zak seems to value it brand wise for McLaren in NA and its not really that expensive so was wondering if they're laying some foundations.

_________________
"Clark came through at the end of the first lap so far ahead that we in the pits were convinced that the rest of the field must have been wiped out in an accident."
-Eddie Dennis, describing the dominance of Jim Clark in the Lotus 49 at Spa 1967

Yeah that's what the Spanish press close to him is saying, he didn't enjoy the car in a normal circuit plus doing so many races away from Europe. Honestly he should suck it and do it. Winning the WEC (if he does it), plus the F1 and the Indy championship is a feat for the history books.

Could be, I guess I just had it in my head it was an Alonso led crusade?

_________________
PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: 7th place

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (6)

One for the history books perhaps but this idea that it has more value than a WDC title is questionable for me, Mansell won back to back F1 and Indycar titles but it didn't raise his stock above drivers like Senna and Prost who only competed in F1.

_________________
PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: 7th place

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (6)

Zak seems to think McLaren should be in all different types of series, it'll be interesting to see whether or not its just an Alonso thing in the coming years.

_________________
"Clark came through at the end of the first lap so far ahead that we in the pits were convinced that the rest of the field must have been wiped out in an accident."
-Eddie Dennis, describing the dominance of Jim Clark in the Lotus 49 at Spa 1967