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Thread: Fernando Alonso to compete in 2017 Indy 500

  1. #31
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    Renault might not have a competitive car but it will at least be a car that finishes in the race. Now the question is Alonso's salary.

    Who knows.....I see the Honda(Mclaren) side with regards to flexibility with other race motorsports as he is currently doing plus he will still collect his salary.

    (hands up in the air)

  2. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stormy View Post
    I don't see Renault having a competitive car in the next 3 years to be honest. I think he is better off in McLaren. At least they are investing a similar amount of money as Ferrari, RB and Mercedes. Besides, it would be ridiculous if McLaren starts winning and he's in Renault and they are nowhere haha.
    My thoughts exactly. With his luck, the moment he joins renault, the McLaren will start winning. Think he should stay put. Honda are not that bad that they cannot get an engine right.
    Silently, like a shadow

  3. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by jgonzalesm6 View Post
    Renault might not have a competitive car but it will at least be a car that finishes in the race. Now the question is Alonso's salary.
    Yeah but he doesn't care only about finishing the race. He wants to fight for the title. So, it would be better to stay at McLaren, be the highest payed driver on the grid and pray that Honda can make it right in the next 2-3 years. If they don't, at least he tried. I don't see Renault winning a title in the near future as well, they are simply not investing enough in chassis. Honda and McLaren on the other hand are dumping a lot of resources into this program, so at least they are trying.

  4. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stormy View Post
    Yeah but he doesn't care only about finishing the race. He wants to fight for the title. So, it would be better to stay at McLaren, be the highest payed driver on the grid and pray that Honda can make it right in the next 2-3 years. If they don't, at least he tried. I don't see Renault winning a title in the near future as well, they are simply not investing enough in chassis. Honda and McLaren on the other hand are dumping a lot of resources into this program, so at least they are trying.
    I agree......my thoughts exactly.......he should just stick it out with Mc/Honda. He cannot go to Ferrari or MB as he burned thosed bridges. Renault is just where its always been and I don't see them moving up the grid by 2020. With Honda, he can venture into other Motorsports if they are still in the "suckage" category when it comes to F1.

  5. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by jgonzalesm6 View Post
    I agree......my thoughts exactly.......he should just stick it out with Mc/Honda. He cannot go to Ferrari or MB as he burned thosed bridges. Renault is just where its always been and I don't see them moving up the grid by 2020. With Honda, he can venture into other Motorsports if they are still in the "suckage" category when it comes to F1.
    Yeah. Maybe they can help him get a competitive car in 24 Hours LeMans as well? I don't know how Honda are doing there, not really a fan of endurance racing to be honest.
    Last edited by Stormy; 17th April 2017 at 18:02.

  6. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stormy View Post
    Yeah. Maybe they can help him get a competitive car in 24 Hours LeMans as well? I don't know how Honda are doing there, not really a fan of endurance racing to be honest.
    Alonso and Mark Webber are best buds; Porsche will offer him a deal driving in the LMP1 class IMHO should there be an offer and he chooses to go that route; Honestly, not a bad deal all the way around. Im sure Mark had fun racing for them when compared to Redbull and the "politics" with regards to Seb.

  7. #37
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    No room at Porsche for Alonso - boss

    Germany - Porsche has played down claims it will host Fernando Alonso's bid for 2018 Le Mans victory.

    Alonso is tackling next month's Indy 500, as part of his stated push to win the 'Triple Crown' of motor sport -- Monaco, Indy and the fabled 24 hour endurance race.

    Reports said Porsche's LMP1 project is what Alonso is targeting for his 2018 Le Mans assault.

    Team boss Andreas Seidl told Auto Bild: "We have six drivers with whom we are very satisfied -- and with whom we are planning for the long term.

    "Alonso is an interesting driver and two years ago we could have put something together. But now we do not have a third prototype -- and there are currently no plans to change," he added.

    source: http://www.wheels24.co.za/FormulaOne...-boss-20170419

  8. #38
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    JV back with another wisdom

    Ahead of Fernando Alonso’s Indy 500 debut, Jacques Villeneuve has defended the Spaniard’s decision to race in the prestigious event.

    Alonso surprised many earlier this month when it was announced that he would skip May’s Monaco Grand Prix in order to race in the 101st Indianapolis 500.

    The double World Champion’s switch, which is a one-race outing, has split the paddock with some praising his decision while others have questioned it.


    Nico Hulkenberg falls into the latter category with the German saying it is too dangerous.

    And that has earned JV’s ire.

    Speaking about Alonso’s decision to race the IndyCar event, he told Spanish daily AS: “I think what he does has great value, it shows that he is a real racer and that he has great courage.

    “We already know Fernando’s talent, his class as a driver, but this gesture makes him even bigger and will make him go down in the story as a real driver.”

    Asked what he meant about a “real driver”, he replied: “Well, all you have to do is listen to what other drivers have said about his decision.

    “I heard Nico Hulkenberg and Romain Grosjean giving an opinion about what Alonso is doing. Hulkenberg saying that it is dangerous, too much a risk, that he wouldn’t do it, that he did Le Mans because it was different.

    “Making excuses or something.”

    He added: “And I think there are two classes of drivers. You’re an Alonso or you’re a Rosberg. And Hulkenberg is a Rosberg.”

    http://www.planetf1.com/news/jv-two-...-and-rosbergs/
    Last edited by Stormy; 23rd April 2017 at 16:12.

  9. #39
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    Fernando Alonso Video Highlights from his first IndyCar visit : April 23, 2017 (18min 14sec)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlNB2qhNZcc

  10. #40
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    Can't wait until he nails it and proves the naysayers wrong.


    Disappointed Since 2010

  11. #41
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    McLaren CEO Zak Brown says he wants to see the team compete at the Indy 500 "every year", not just at this year's edition with Fernando Alonso.

    Alonso is being allowed to miss the Monaco Grand Prix on May 28 to compete in a McLaren entry, powered by Honda and run by Andretti Autosport, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Newly-installed CEO Brown was the architect behind the move as he plans to expand the iconic team's racing portfolio in the coming years.

    Brown insists he does not view Alonso's participation as a one-off.

    "I would like to see McLaren-Honda competing at Indianapolis every year," Brown said. "Originally I thought this was an idea we could pursue in 2018 and given the circumstances of how we are running in Formula 1 right now, and Fernando's desire and our desire, and Honda's desire, this created a very, very small window of opportunity that we jumped on.

    "McLaren is a big fan of IndyCar racing, we think it's fantastic motorsports and I've personally been around it my whole life so I'm very excited on a personal level to be here. And we had just enough time to do this very properly. When I called Mark [Miles, CEO of IndyCar], and ultimately Michael [Andretti, Andretti Autosport boss] it was good that he was already far down the road with the car, because we need to be competitive. The whole idea is to run at the front of the field."

    Brown travelled with Alonso to Alabama's Barber Motorsports Park at the weekend for the IndyCar round, meeting with Andretti Autosport and giving the Spaniard the chance to sit in a car for the first time. With Alonso due to have a private test on May 3, several days after the Russian Grand Prix, Brown says the team is doing everything to ensure the Spaniard gets the maximum amount of experience for the event.

    "We have good preparation. We've brought in [2003 Indy 500 winner] Gil de Ferran to assist Fernando in learning his way around Indianapolis.

    Yeah, I'd like to see McLaren here on a more regular basis. And would we do it with Fernando again? Absolutely. I hope that we have the problem of Monaco and Indy in the same weekend and we are fighting for the championship.

    "So what happens in 2018? We'll have to wait and see, because obviously we're working very hard to get Fernando and Stoffel Vandoorne a much more competitive [Formula One] car than we are producing right now."

    http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/...500-every-year
    Forza Ferrari


  12. #42
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    Renault F1 team won't be 'crazy' trying to sign Fernando Alonso

    Renault will not make "crazy" promises to lure Fernando Alonso back to its Formula 1 team for 2018, insisting it wants drivers committed for the long term.


    Amid his current frustrations at McLaren-Honda, Alonso has been linked to a return to the Renault team where he won the 2005/06 championships.

    But Renault F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul warned Alonso would have to be patient at Enstone.

    "I am not here to pull off a one-off coup with someone, I am not living in the past," Abiteboul told Autosport when asked if Renault would be ready for a driver such as Alonso in 2018.

    "I started working in F1 when Flavio [Briatore] and Fernando were in this group together at Enstone, so I am emotionally touched by this period.

    "But equally circumstances have changed, we need also to have a final line-up that will be the right one for the future.

    "I don't think next year we will be in a position to fight for the championship.

    "So we need a driver who can support us in this ultimate fight for the championship, but be prepared to wait for the time to come for this to happen."

    Abiteboul thinks top-line drivers are more of an asset when a team is in title contention.

    "There is not a driver who will move you from 'group two' to 'group one', that is for sure," he said.

    "I think we are moving towards a driver formula rather than a team/car formula.

    "If you look at our development, hopefully we will be in a position to be part of the top teams in two years' time.

    "Then the regulations will have stabilised, and everyone will have sort of converged.

    "And by that point it will be crucial, it will be paramount, to have a driver who is capable of making that sort of last contribution to be the best.

    "But we don't intend to do crazy things because we know our situation and we need to project ourself in time."

    Alonso has agreed with McLaren not to commit elsewhere until they hold talks in the summer, and Renault wants time to judge current drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Jolyon Palmer too.

    "We need to be fair to our line-up, I need to see how our line-up is performing and delivering," Abiteboul said.

    Hulkenberg has impressed in his first three grands prix with Renault and is on a long-term deal.

    "With Nico we have turned it into a long-term programme and we understand where we are going," Abiteboul added.

    "We have been very transparent about what will be our situation this year, but he also knows what we are doing in order to be in a better situation in years to come.

    "But Nico is at a point in his career where he is capable of projecting himself to a certain point of time."


    http://www.autosport.com/news/report...to-lure-alonso

  13. #43
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    for those interested in watching Alonso test at Indy tomorrow....live stream link

    http://www.indycar.com/News/2017/05/...test-live-show

  14. #44
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    After watching some Indy this season, Honda doesn't look that great. It looks like Chevy has the edge over them. Having said that, i don't expect much of Alonso now...

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  16. #46
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    Is #14 taken? Would have been cool for him to race in Indy under his F1 number.

  17. #47
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    Alonso's official Indy Helmet:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BToWz1MFkU1/

  18. #48
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    AAAAAANNNNNNDDDDD the Mclaren IndyCar....which will be easy to see

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-PL7jrLbFo

  19. #49
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    He did the first stint with an over 208 mph. So far things looking good.

    Update: 219 mph now.
    Last edited by Stormy; 3rd May 2017 at 15:37.

  20. #50
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    Did it broke down?
    Hero's come and go, but legends never die!

  21. #51
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    Alonso "vaporizing" two birds on the track video:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2p2Mae49Ns

    Alonso post - Press Conference (Tests at Indianapolis Motor Speedway) (McLaren Honda/Andretti) (24min 27sec)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of5VUO7osCM

    I did'nt know an F1 car takes about 6 min. to "start-up" and an IndyCar you just get in and go...interesting. Also, he has alot of respect of the speed going flat out at over 220mph in an oval which means alot.

  22. #52
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stormsearcher View Post
    My thoughts exactly. With his luck, the moment he joins renault, the McLaren will start winning. Think he should stay put. Honda are not that bad that they cannot get an engine right.
    Sure hope not.

    -Lou(is)
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  23. #53
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    Alonso Passes Indy's Rookie Test With No Issues
    Fernando Alonso took just 51 laps to finish Indy's orientation program.

    Fernando Alonso's first foray on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval went as smoothly as possible for the two-time Formula 1 world champion. The 35-year-old Spaniard, driving the No. 29 Andretti/McLaren Dallara DW12-Honda, posted 51 laps Wednesday morning at the legendary home of the Indy 500 as he completed all of the required phases of the Rookie Orientation Program.

    "It was fun," said Alonso, who turned a best lap of 219.654mph. "It's a good way to start to build the speed. Probably a little bit difficult in the beginning to reach the minimum, the next stages felt good. Now, hopefully we can put some laps and start feeling a little bit of the car because at the moment the car is driving myself; I'm not driving the car."

    Alonso's team followed the standard practice for first timers at Indy by piling plenty of downforce onto the cars. With the No. 29 car plenty stable in the corners, Alonso was quick to note how aerodynamics were indeed governing his ability to run closer to the 230mph average that will be required once official practice gets under way on May 15.

    "I do feel more comfortable," Alonso added after making multiple ROP runs at specific speed ranges mandated by the Verizon IndyCar Series. "Not because of the speed; just because of the laps. You are already with 30 laps [of focus], 40 laps [of focus], you are able to find tune a little bit the lines, the upshifts, the downshifts, which gear to use in which corner. At the moment everything looks good. Now it's time to start the real thing."

    Cut loose to try running above the 220mph barrier, Alonso acknowledged the solo lapping during a test will be nothing like running in a pack with 32 other drivers during the 101st Indy 500 on May 28.

    "So far it has been good," he said. "Running alone is quite OK; we'll see later on the next weeks."

    http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorspo...ith-no-issues/
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  24. #54
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    Hope he wins it!!! He is the most complete driver around and there should be a record of it.
    Unfortunately his luck in F1 has not been kind to him.
    Silently, like a shadow

  25. #55
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    Is this the one where if you just steer the wheel a little to the left and put a brick on the acceleration pedal, you can fall asleep and still have a chance of winning?

  26. #56
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    Quote Originally Posted by IulianFerrari View Post
    Is this the one where if you just steer the wheel a little to the left and put a brick on the acceleration pedal, you can fall asleep and still have a chance of winning?
    If you turn off damage, tyre wear and fuel, yes.

    Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

  27. #57
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    Quote Originally Posted by IulianFerrari View Post
    Is this the one where if you just steer the wheel a little to the left and put a brick on the acceleration pedal, you can fall asleep and still have a chance of winning?
    YUP, that is the one.....lololol

    i can never get into that, especially the OVAL track.....booooorinnngggggg
    So 2023 started off bad, but managed to claw back some lap time come end of the year. Lets hope SF24 will give us tifosi something to smile about.

  28. #58
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    Quote Originally Posted by FerrariF60 View Post
    YUP, that is the one.....lololol

    i can never get into that, especially the OVAL track.....booooorinnngggggg
    Boring? could say the same with some of, if most of F1 tracks. There is alot of skill going on to drive IndyCar on an oval in pack racing. Got the turbulent air of the cars in front, from the sides. All upsetting the car in the corners. Juts because, "all they do is turn left" doesnt mean theres no driver skill going on. Just the blinkered look at other motorsport forms from F1 fans. I took those blickers off years ago.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  29. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rob View Post
    Boring? could say the same with some of, if most of F1 tracks. There is alot of skill going on to drive IndyCar on an oval in pack racing. Got the turbulent air of the cars in front, from the sides. All upsetting the car in the corners. Juts because, "all they do is turn left" doesnt mean theres no driver skill going on. Just the blinkered look at other motorsport forms from F1 fans. I took those blickers off years ago.
    What corners, if you leave the right window down enough wind can come to make the steering wheel go a little to the left and make "the corner"? . Running in a circle looks stupid to me. Of course when more cars are involved there is going to be trouble, but that would happen even on a straight line.

  30. #60
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    Quote Originally Posted by IulianFerrari View Post
    What corners, if you leave the right window down enough wind can come to make the steering wheel go a little to the left and make "the corner"? . Running in a circle looks stupid to me. Of course when more cars are involved there is going to be trouble, but that would happen even on a straight line.
    going round any track is going round in circles, is it not?
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