Description: IndyCar Blog
Tribalism runs deep in motor racing, with the disregard and mockery of rival series a cottage industry among fans and journalists alike. The decision of F1 champion Fernando Alonso to skip the Grand Prix of Monaco to race in this year’s Indianapolis 500 is a case in point.
After the announcement, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton said Alonso would be the best driver there. Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said he would have worked to stop it. Red Bull’s Christian Horner said Zak Brown of McLaren was “barking mad” to do it. I assume Honda just wanted to prove they had a competitive engine in a top series somewhere.
Is it important to the Verizon IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500 to have Alonso in town for the 500? Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles was effusive in his praise of Alonso and McLaren coming to Indy in May, as was Zak Brown of McLaren. AP writer Jenna Fryer’s recent article indicated that Alonso to Indy is just not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. Andretti Autosport certainly likes it since it brings cash and notoriety to the team. Twitter, of course, is Twitter. Whatever opinion you h