Alonso casts doubt over Indy 500 mission

Sam Hall
Sunday 22 May 2022 09:30

Fernando Alonso has conceded to being unsure if he will return to the Indianapolis 500 with F1 now his sole focus.

Alpine driver Alonso has entered the IndyCar showpiece on three occasions in his bid to land motorsport's triple crown.

Only Graham Hill has achieved the feat that comprises the Monaco Grand Prix, Le Mans 24 Hours and Indy500.

Alonso, who conceded in a recent interview he had no immediate desire to return to the Brickyard, clarified his stance ahead of his home race in Spain on Sunday.

"I will see when the time arrives," said the two-time F1 champion. "At the moment, I sometimes have to answer questions about what I will do in three or four years’ time, and if I will go back to Indy.

"But before the Spanish Grand Prix, or Miami, or whatever, my head obviously is totally focused on the race weekend and Formula 1 right now."

Alonso eyes F1 future

Alonso, who is out of contract at the end of the season, has highly-rated F2 champion Oscar Piastri waiting in the wings for a seat at Alpine.

The 40-year-old could yet face competition for his seat as current team-mate Esteban Ocon is secure with a contract lasting until 2024.

Confirming his desire to remain in F1, Alonso added: "I see myself racing here for a few more years, and after that, I don't know. I cannot say yes, I cannot say no to the Indy 500.

"What is for sure is that now, it is not in my head because I'm fully focused here. So that probably was the answer."