Fernando Alonso has an open invitation to return to the Indianapolis 500 whenever he’s ready, courtesy of McLaren CEO Zak Brown.
The Spanish driver, who is currently preparing for the 2026 Formula 1 season with Aston Martin and its new power unit partner Honda, hasn’t competed at Indy 500 since 2020, which was held behind closed doors and delayed until August due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
All three of his previous attempts came in a McLaren-supported effort, which saw him qualify twice. Undoubtedly, his best outing was the debut in 2017, earning top rookie honors after qualifying fifth, leading 27 laps and being in the mix for victory until his engine expired while running seventh with 21 laps remaining.
Arrow McLaren, the IndyCar arm of McLaren, has regularly expanded its programme to support Indy 500 attempts since Alonso’s efforts, running former Indy 500 winners Juan Pablo Montoya (2021-22) and Tony Kanaan (2023), along with two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson (2024-25).
This year is no different, with 2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay coming onboard in a one-off effort alongside full-time drivers Pato O’Ward, Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel.
During Wednesday’s opening of the McLaren Racing Center, the new home for Arrow McLaren, Autosport asked Brown about the prospects of reuniting with Alonso for another Indy 500 effort.
Fernando Alonso, Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
“Starting with Ryan, [I am] very happy to have Ryan in the car this year,” Brown said. “He’s definitely capable of winning the Indy 500, so I think our odds have gone up by putting Ryan in the car.”
Brown then added his thoughts on Alonso, who is now 44 and in the last year of his current deal with Aston Martin.
A two-time Formula 1 world champion and two-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner, Alonso needs only an Indy 500 win to complete racing’s Triple Crown – a feat only the legendary Graham Hill has accomplished.
“But post that and post when Fernando stops in F1, this is his last contractual year, doesn’t mean he won’t continue, but I talk to him about it like every time I see him,” Brown said.
“I think we’ve got a car that can win the Indy 500. And I think he’s very capable of winning the Indy 500. I thoroughly enjoyed racing with him here. He enjoyed it all but one of the years, but loved the first year. I mean, it was magic.
“I’d love to see Fernando back at the Indy 500 with us. That is something I’ll continue to bug him about.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
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