MANAMA: McLaren Formula One boss Zak Brown is ‘barking mad’ to let Fernando Alonso race the Indianapolis 500 with so little experience of ovals, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said yesterday.
McLaren announced earlier in the week that the Spaniard, a double world champion, would miss the May 28 Monaco Grand Prix to compete at The Brickyard in the biggest event in US open-wheel racing.
The switch has been made easier by McLaren’s lack of competitiveness in Formula One, with the once-great team currently last in the championship without a point after two races and Alonso clearly frustrated with the situation.
“Look, it’s a difficult one for Fernando, he’s having a tough time,” Horner, smiling, told reporters at the Bahrain Grand Prix. “Zak’s got the problem of a depressed driver on his hands, he’s trying to keep him motivated and he’s come up with this idea to send him to Indianapolis. He must be barking mad, it’s the nuttiest race I’ve ever seen.”