F1 News
Fernando Alonso refuses to buy a seat in the Indy500 after failing to qualify
Nicolás Quarles van Ufford
Two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso failed to qualify for the Indy500 for McLaren, but the Spaniard refuses to buy his way into the race to pursue his 'Triple Crown' title.
Qualifying for the Indy500 is always a case of survival of the fittest, as there are always way more teams enrolling for the event than there are places on the grid. Alonso tried his luck with McLaren, as he did back in 2017, but this time he couldn't make it through qualifying, failing to secure a place on the grid.
El Mundo Deportivo report the Asturian had the opportunity to buy himself into the race, but he wouldn't take it.
"Fernando told me he found it wrong to do it that way, which underlined for me how much of a decent person he is," IndyCar driver Oriol Servia said.
"He knew this was his chance to win the Triple Crown, but he still hangs on to his values.
"He also said: 'It's bizarre you can buy a place here. I also think it's mean to go to the Indy500 as McLaren, not qualify and then to say: come here with that place.' I do hope he'll be on the grid in 2020."
In the eyes of Servia, who was three podiums in nine years of IndyCar, McLaren are currently too focussed on F1 to come to IndyCar and just win it.
"If he comes here with McLaren, I know for sure they'll be prepared. That just wasn't the case this time. Their focus is on F1 too much. You can't expect to then come here and just to win."
