Alonso says Indy the only positive moment of 2017
Fernando Alonso says his Indianapolis 500 outing has been the only positive moment from the first half of the 2017 season.
The McLaren driver made his debut in IndyCar's blue riband event in May, starring in qualifying and the race before retiring with an engine problem near the end.
In Formula 1, however, the Spaniard and his team have struggled all year, having scored just two points in the first 10 races of a season plagued by reliability issues with the Honda engine.
The two-time champion has seen the chequered flags just three times so far, with a ninth place in Baku his best result.
When asked whether the first half of his season contained any positive moments, Alonso said: "Yes, the Indy 500."
Pushed to find positives besides Indianapolis, he replied: "No. We expected to be much more competitive and we are not delivering what our expectations were.
"We are working very hard to improve the situation as soon as possible, but definitely tough," he said.
Alonso's current contract with McLaren expires at the end of the year and he is yet to decide if he will continue with the Woking team, as he says he wants to be in a position to win races in 2018.
With the options of securing a drive with a frontrunning team looking slim, Alonso said a future in IndyCar was possible.
However, he insists F1 remains his priority and says he is open to moving to "any team" to win his third title.
"It [IndyCar] is there, it's one possibility. I've always said I'm very open that may come in the future. My priority is still Formula 1 and winning the third championship, but I'm open to find the way in any team to achieve that.
"I'm open to see another series if that is not possible for next year, so let's see in one month or one month and a half.
"I want to win next year and to win we need some good changes here, many changes here. If those happen, there'll be a possibility that I stay and that's something that I will have to consider in September."
Share Or Save This Story
Alpine becomes Pramac's main partner in MotoGP
Liberty Media's $4bn MotoGP deal facing EU probe
Ocon wants answers to understand pace slump against Alpine team-mate
Fernando Alonso Spotted Driving His $5.9 Million Lamborghini Hypercar Through Monaco
Fernando Alonso: F1 Hungarian GP an "important" lift for Aston Martin
The expectation on Aston Martin's shoulders as it prepares to debut its Hungarian GP updates
F1 2026 mid-season grades: McLaren starts on back foot but makes rapid progress
Could McLaren follow Red Bull’s path with its own F1 engine – and should it?
The subtle but significant changes McLaren will make for its 2027 F1 car
DTM Nurburgring: Ferrari on pole, blow for title contender Nicki Thiim
Formula E nearly man Nick Cassidy "sad" he doesn't have a title
Max Verstappen pinpoints Red Bull's "big priority" for second half of F1 2026
George Russell still carries scars from 2020 Mercedes F1 call-up
Could McLaren follow Red Bull’s path with its own F1 engine – and should it?
Top 10 rookie seasons in F1
Why F1 shouldn’t be hiding its most interesting characters
100 not out: Alex Albon on Williams’s desire to atone for its 2026 struggles
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments