Alonso tipped to make Indy 500 comeback: 'He absolutely has a chance'

Alonso has already made several attempts to conquer the Indianapolis 500, taking on the event on three separate occasions. His strongest showing came on his debut in 2017, when he immediately impressed by running at the front and emerging as a genuine contender for victory before an engine failure ended his race prematurely.

Two years later, the Spaniard endured a far more difficult experience, failing to qualify for the race after a troubled build-up with McLaren. He returned once again in 2020, but another challenging weekend followed, with Alonso only managing a finish outside the top 20 after struggling to make an impact throughout the race.

Writing in his column for Aston Martin, Button identified Alonso as the driver best placed to complete motorsport’s coveted Triple Crown. With victories already secured at both the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24H of Le Mans, Alonso now only needs an Indianapolis 500 win to achieve the feat. He also pointed out that the Spaniard has previously shown he has the pace to contend at Indianapolis, having run at the front during past appearances.

Jolyon Palmer has hailed Fernando Alonso as the closest thing to a complete Formula 1 driver that he has witnessed during his time in the sport, singling out the Spaniard’s Ferrari years as the peak of his career. The former Renault driver was particularly impressed by Alonso’s performances during the early 2010s, when he consistently extracted results beyond the capabilities of the car and came within touching distance of another world title despite Ferrari often lacking the outright pace of its rivals.

Palmer also praised Alonso’s exceptional racecraft, describing his ability to read situations and anticipate rivals’ moves as one of his greatest strengths. Having raced against the two-time world champion during their time on the grid together, Palmer admitted Alonso regularly operated on a different level and was capable of making even experienced competitors look ordinary in wheel-to-wheel battles.