It has been a couple of weeks now since Fernando Alonso experienced the world of IndyCar at the Indianapolis 500 and he has been quite vocal since his return that he will seek other options if McLaren doesn’t start winning soon, even throwing around the idea of an IndyCar ride. But this isn’t good for IndyCar.
Every motorsport series likes to boast that they have the top drivers in the world and Formula One is no exception. We like to think that we have the 20 best drivers in the world, although that’s not always true. IndyCar is the same.
However, it reflects quite poorly on the talent of IndyCar when a driver can come in and perform that way that Alonso did during the Indianapolis 500. With no previous oval racing experience, Alonso was able to lead laps and may have even had a chance to take the victory had it not been for the reliability issue with the Honda engine.
Alonso isn’t the only ex-Formula One driver to have performed extremely well in IndyCar. Alexander Rossi made the move to IndyCar after failing to secure a full time seat with Manor in Formula One. He has been quite successful since his transition, winning the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie and achieving decent results throughout the season. Even Juan Pablo Montoya won the Indianapolis 500 twice and almost won a championship title. He was competitive right up until the end of his career.
My point being, it doesn’t look very good when you have other drivers with less experience in the series moving in an easily outperforming drivers that have been in IndyCar for years and years. It makes the talent in IndyCar look watered down in comparison.
On the other hand, it shows that Formula One really does have some of the greatest drivers in the entire world of motorsport. That’s why Formula One drivers going to IndyCar is good for Formula One, but not IndyCar.
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