Alonso loses valuable Indy 500 traffic experience to suspension issue

Alonso had hoped to start to build experience running in traffic in the final hour of practice by running with his four full-time Andretti Autosport teammates.

However, a rear suspension problem on the McLaren Honda Andretti entry meant he was unable to take part, which restricted him to only 20 laps in the main practice session, after completing 36 during the rookie/refresher test.

“We had some issues with the rear suspension and we could not complete the program that was planned – to run a little bit in traffic at the end of the day,” said Alonso.

“But overall, it was an amazing day, happier than the first day with the car because I was able to feel some of the setup changes that we were planning in the morning.

 “Traffic is still the thing that I need to go through in the next couple of days, so that is something that I need to chase a bit more in the program. But I did two or three laps behind some cars when they were going out of the pitlane and it was good fun, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Alonso said after his first IndyCar test at Indianapolis earlier this month that he felt the car was “driving itself”, but now felt more accustomed to his unfamiliar car.

“Yeah, a little bit more,” he said. “Definitely a much better day, a much better feeling. I was able to start driving the car today.

 “There’s still a long way for me to work, to learn, but definitely I feel [I made] some good steps today. I was a little bit concerned about the conditions, but the car felt good. It felt as good as in the test and I was able to make some setup changes without losing the confidence in the car.

“When I jumped in the car today, I saw the flags and it seems that it was quite a strong wind. But in the car, I did not feel any wind issues so that was a positive thing. In the test we did here two weeks ago, the wind that picked up in the afternoon made the car a little bit more difficult, but the car worked perfectly OK in all four corners.”

Alonso admitted that he would also not be prioritizing ultimate qualifying pace in his week of preparation. He ended the day 19^th overall with a best lap of 223.025mph, having earlier topped the two-hour rookie and refresher session.

But with limited practice ahead of the Indianapolis 500, and qualifying taking place this weekend, Alonso considers his grid position to be a lower priority.

“In my case, qualifying is not very important,” said Alonso. “When you are out there, you want to feel fast so it’s a question of enjoyment, not only the final position.

“But I think the priority for us in my garage is to set up the car for the race, to feel comfortable in traffic, to learn as much as I can. The way to overtake, the place to overtake, how you lose the minimum of momentum in those maneuvers.

“There are many things that I don’t know now and I need to learn quickly, so let’s see what we can do in qualifying. But definitely, the race preparation will be the first priority.”