McLaren Honda driver Fernando Alonso finished fourth for the second day in a row in practice for the upcoming Indianapolis 500 that will take place next weekend.
On day four of practice, the Spanish racer was clocked at 225.619 mph, only a fraction of a second slower than his Andretti Autosport teammate, Marco Andretti, who finished the session third fastest overall.
“I love to race. Like really, really race. And that's why on May 28, on the biggest weekend in motor sports, I won't be with my Formula 1 team at the Monaco Grand Prix. I'll be in Indianapolis,” Alonso said on the Indycar official website. “Racing at the Brickyard. Because I need to be. The Indy 500 is one of the greatest events in the sport. Drivers all over the world know this. I belong there. Because I'm a racer. I always have been, and I always will be.”
“I have been thinking about Indy for four or five years now. I had seen a few races, but didn't know too much about the series. I knew some of the names, and the teams, but basically it's all new information for me. So I am back to doing what I love again, learning. Everyone — from the team at McLaren-Honda-Andretti, to the people I've met during my time in America — has been so helpful.”
Speeds from day four:
1) Jay Howard (No. 77 Lucas Oil/Team One Cure Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda) - 226.744 mph
2) Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 28 DHL Andretti Autosport Honda) - 225.826 mph
3) Marco Andretti (No. 27 United Fiber & Data Andretti Autosport Honda) - 225.709 mph
4) Fernando Alonso (No. 29 McLaren-Honda-Andretti Honda) - 225.619 mph
5) Josef Newgarden (No. 2 hum by Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet) - 225.455 mph
Speeds courtesy of indycar.com
