McLaren's Spanish driver Fernando Alonso has already proved himself in Formula One after he won the world championship twice, in 2005 and 2006, with Renault. But since then, the former Ferrari driver has not been able to match up with the best and his 2017 Formula One season has not gone according to plan so far.
Alonso was forced to retire from the Australian and Chinese Grand Prix after his McLaren car continued to give him problems. But despite those early setbacks, Alonso is no doubt a proven champion but he wants to prove to the world that he is a complete racer by winning the Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans 24 Hours.
Alonso has spoken a lot about his desire to race in different series but everyone expected it to be when he was done with Formula One completely. But the Spaniard is set to compete in the Indy 500 later this year and will miss the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix as a result of that. Alonso does not look the part in Formula One anymore but he is determined to cement his legacy in the racing world in a different way.
"I look at the old days when the best drivers in the world competed in the best races in the world, despite being in one series; they competed with each other and pursued their dreams from a young age. The Indy 500, F1, Le Mans 24 hours are the biggest races in the world and one day I was thinking to compete and participate," Express quoted Alonso as saying.
Check out how some of the 2017 Indy 500 drivers reacted to Alonso joining the race
"Winning is just another step forward that I was lucky enough to succeed in F1 but the other two series' will be an unknown situation. But I consider myself a racer, a complete driver adapting myself to any type of car in any conditions and the best way to show this to the world is to compete in different categories and try to win them."
The Indy 500 is completely different from the Formula One and Alonso has no illusion that he will be a favourite to win the race. But anything is possible after Alex Rossi -- a former F1 driver and Indy 500 rookie – won for Andretti Autosport last year.
"I don't go there with expectation to arrive and to win because I respect the drivers that are racing there and the experience they have. On the other hand, a rookie driver in the same team won the Indy 500. This is motorsport, anything can happen. I am not going there just to see the cars going around, I will go with my best and full commitment to win the race," Alonso said.
If Alonso can manage a win at this year's Indy 500, he will only have to win the Le Mans 24 Hours to become the second driver in history to win the Triple Crown. To win the Triple Crown a driver must win the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500 and the Le Mans 24 Hours.
"I've won the Monaco Grand Prix twice, and it's one of my ambitions to win the Triple Crown, which has been achieved by only one driver in the history of motorsport: Graham Hill. It's a tough challenge, but I'm up for it. I don't know when I'm going to race at Le Mans, but one day I intend to. I'm only 35: I've got plenty of time for that."
