Alonso's likely only entry into the Indianapolis 500 this year would come via a Chevy-powered teamGETTY IMAGES
Two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso had his Indianapolis 500 deal with Honda-powered Andretti Autosport "vetoed at the 11th hour" by Honda HQ, according to Medland & Pruett of RACER.com. Honda Performance Development "sought final clearance from the brand's global headquarters in Tokyo ahead of the announcement, which was expected to be made last week, only to be told not to proceed with such a deal." Alonso also was in talks to "remain with the team after Indy and participate at some of the road course races on the IndyCar schedule." Ongoing efforts to salvage the deal are "said to be taking place," but Alonso is "not expected to be welcomed inside the Honda IndyCar family." His return last year to the Indy 500 was with a Chevy-powered McLaren entry "due to the breakdown of the McLaren-Honda partnership" in F1, with Alonso having been "very vocal about the Japanese manufacturer's deficiencies regarding its power unit." The "unexpected reversal" with Alonso, where a full complement of sponsors had been arranged by the team, "should lead to a stampede of interested drivers seeking to claim the entry" (RACER.com, 2/2).
AMERICAN MUSCLE? In Indianapolis, Nathan Brown notes the collapse of the deal "significantly slashes Alonso's options to appear in this year's race and narrows them to Chevy-powered teams, of which two of the biggest players have said previously they aren't planning to add another car into the fold for the 500" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 2/3).
