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Though obviously not all his fault, again IMO right now his biggest claim to fame is that he has made the largest number of F1 starts without a win than any current driver.
I thought that distinction belonged to Nick Heidfeld.
Current F1 driver......accd'g to the current MotorSport mag at the start of the 2017 season:
1) Hulkenberg--0 for 117
2) Perez--0 for 116
3) Grosjean--0 for 104
Posted Nico's thoughts because he's the only one in modern era that has one of the "other" leg of the triple crown won. Alonso says that one of the reasons he's doing this is because his goal of surpassing Schumacher's 7 world titles has slipped away, so he wants to be known as a complete driver and try the 500 and later in life, run Le Mans.
Although it may be a publicity stunt for Honda, I genuinely feel Alonso is going to do his damnedest to win this thing -- he's not going to just go through the motions -- it's not in his DNA.
Although it may be a publicity stunt for Honda, I genuinely feel Alonso is going to do his damnedest to win this thing -- he's not going to just go through the motions -- it's not in his DNA.
Which is why, as I've posted in other threads, it pains me to see him playing out the string year after year with a team that's a shadow of what it's been. One of the things he's always been known for is to get the absolute best out of whatever he's driving, even if it's a backmarker....but you always lose the race against time and he's not getting any younger.
I hope he wins the damned thing, and LeMans too someday.
I don't think it's a stretch at all that he could win it. Mansell was leading the 1993 race when Lyn St. James crashed late and brought out the yellow. He got jumped on the restart by Luyendyk and Fittipaldi because he made a rookie mistake and was too close to the pace car and matching it's speed while the other two dropped back and got a run on him. He still finished 3rd. I think it would be awesome if Alonso could pull it off. I'm still shocked that McLaren-Honda hasn't gotten it together.
I think it was. Andretti Autosport will provide him a car capable of winning. I think he will adapt well since they get a lot of practice time. Wouldn't surprise me if he qualifies on the front row.
Alexander Rossi won it last year, wasn't that his first oval race? I'm looking through his bio and I don't see any other series that runs ovals.
He did, even though IIRC he kinda lucked into it...but he was there at the end and took advantage.
Nice article on Alonso in USAToday today--he's got the May 3rd test and the two weeks after that to learn how to drive an Indycar. Yeesh.....Gil DeFerran is coaching him.
Somehow I doubt he'll have a problem keeping his right foot down
I'm just glad a current running F1 champion is attempting Indy now and not say......around 2002 when Tony George had his finger on the random yellow flag button
His rookie test went flawlessly and he was eventually turning consistent laps in excess of 221 mph before weather moved in. He had a total of 51 laps in the Andretti-owned car.
"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 fine 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 220 mph 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."
ALONSO BREEZES THROUGH INDIANAPOLIS ROOKIE ORIENTATION TEST
Two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso needed about one hour of track time today to pass his rookie orientation test for the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil.
“It was fun,” Alonso said during a break on pit road after his No. 29 McLaren-Honda-Andretti car had completed 51 laps just before noon ET. “At this moment, everything looks good. Now it’s time to start the real thing.”
Alonso made quick work of the three rookie orientation phases with 10 laps at 205-210 mph, 15 laps at 210-215 mph and 15 laps at 215-plus mph.
Andretti Autosport teammate Marco Andretti shook down the car, which is painted in classic Team McLaren papaya orange. McLaren is returning to the Indy 500 on May 28 for the first time in 38 years.
Practice for the Indianapolis 500 begins May 15 with qualifying on May 20-21, so the 35-year-old Spaniard has a lot to learn in a short time. He’s still had to juggle F1 commitments, which has meant an overabundance of travel. Alonso was unable to start Sunday’s Russian Grand Prix due to engine issues and will compete in the Spanish Grand Prix next week.
Although he ranks sixth on F1’s all-time win list with 32 victories and celebrated world championships in 2005 and 2006, Alonso hasn’t won a race since 2013 and his interest in enhancing his racing resume will require him to drive faster than ever before at 230 mph down the front straightaway at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
A day after preparing in a racing simulator, Alonso said his confidence grew with each passing lap. By 1:30 p.m. ET, he had completed 88 laps with a top speed of 222.548 mph.
“I think it’s a good way to start, to build speed,” he said. “It was difficult at (the) beginning to reach the minimum speed. The next stages felt good, not because of the speed but because of the laps. You’re able to fine-tune the lines; upshift, downshift, which gears to use in the corner.
“The simulator is quite realistic. You have the first impression of how it’s going to be. But the real car is a unique feeling. When you have to go flat out in the corner, it’s not the same in the simulator as in the real car.”
Andretti Autosport CEO Michael Andretti, who will field six cars in the race including defending champion Alexander Rossi, liked what he saw from Alonso’s initial experience.
“That was great,” Andretti said. “He did everything he was supposed to do. Now it's time to go play a bit. So far, everything is really perfect. We had one trim we started with, so we have a reference of where we need to go.
“He gets it. He's one of the best in the world and you can see why. He had a little bit of understeer in that run and he adjusted his line because of the understeer. He's the real deal. I think he's going to be really strong this month.”
Three generations of Andretti racers – Mario, Michael and Marco – as well as Rossi and 2003 Indy 500 winner Gil de Ferran were among those giving Alonso advice. Mario won the 1969 Indy 500, Michael has celebrated four Indy 500 victories as an owner in addition to leading the most laps (431) without winning as a driver and Marco was a rookie runner-up in 2006 and is in his 12th season as a Verizon IndyCar Series regular.
“The team has been amazingly helpful,” Alonso said. “Running alone is quite OK. We'll see in the next weeks. So far a good experience. Now is the real deal.”
Marco Andretti said cooler track conditions, with ambient temperatures in the low 50s, combined with Alonso the only driver on track provided an ideal setting for the initiation. Alonso kept churning out laps amid a threat of afternoon showers as darker clouds drifted over the speedway.
“With this level of downforce, this is like race downforce, when there’s no traffic and you’re by yourself, it’s just stuck,” Marco Andretti said. “The front and rear are stuck right now, which is what you want for the first run.”
And what of sorting out the input from so many voices?
“He’ll have to learn by fire from a lot of it,” Marco said. “But he’s asking the right questions.
“He’ll be fine. He’s a race car driver. He’ll leave today pretty confident.”
The test could run as late as 5 p.m. ET, weather permitting.
04-13-2017, 04:19 PM
