Two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso shocked the world after his announcement of leaving the sport at the end of the 2018 season earlier this week, but since then he has already received multiple invitations from other championships.
The Spaniard is notably linked to a seat with the new McLaren-Andretti partnered outfit in IndyCar for a full season in 2019, including Indy500. In his quest to attain a ‘Triple Crown’, he just has the Indy500 to win and follow the footstep of Graham Hill.
IndyCar’s boss Mark Miles said the series is doing as much to help and support the interested team to participate in the championship with Alonso in one of the cars for the full 2019 season, but added it will take time to put everything in place.
“[Alonso’s] announcement certainly has fueled excitement among INDYCAR fans who hope that Alonso will compete throughout the championship in 2019,” said Miles. “McLaren is working to put all the necessary arrangements in place, and we are supporting their efforts.
“I don’t expect this to be resolved until closer to the end of this year.” Several reports have emerged since to state that Alonso will be testing the new car on the road course to evaluate his decision – whether to do a full season or limit it to a Indy500 outing.
The interest from America is not just limited to IndyCar though, as even NASCAR has now offered Alonso to compete in their famed Daytona 500 event which takes place on February 17, 2019 at Daytona International Speedway next year.
“The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series requests the honor of your presence at the Daytona 500, Sunday, 17 February 2019. A new challenge awaits. We hope you’ll accept with pleasure, Fernando Alonso,” NASCAR stated on Twitter, which led to this exchange:
— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) August 15, 2018
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 15, 2018
When Alonso did the Daytona 24 Hours earlier this year, the Spaniard was asked if he would do Daytona 500 anytime in his career, that time he said he could but only when there is time in hand. He felt, doing NASCAR takes more preparation.
“The Speedway is amazing, the size of everything is huge, so I imagine this grandstand full of people for the NASCAR race and that could be an amazing thing to experience,” he said during the Daytona 24 Hours.
“[But] NASCAR is not on my thoughts at this moment because I guess NASCAR’s driving techniques are very unique, those cars so will need a lot of practice and lot of tests for making that adventure. At the moment, I don’t have enough weekends free to do it.
“So, no plans yet, but definitely after being here for the 24 hours [race], definitely I’ll watch the race on television at least to see the Daytona Speedway and enjoy the NASCAR race. That will be the first step, watching on the TV.”
For now, Alonso has the nine F1 races to do and also the endurance outings in the FIA World Rally Championship. In case he doesn’t do NASCAR in February, his first event after F1 will be the 1000 Miles of Sebring in March.
[Read Also: Reactions to Alonso’s F1 exit]