Team owner says Alonso has 2020 Indy 500 deal

Feb.20 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has inked a deal to race in May’s Indy 500.

That is the claim of Indycar team owner Michael Andretti, after it emerged recently that Honda reportedly vetoed a deal with the two-time champion.

Andretti admitted on Wednesday that he and Alonso “couldn’t come to terms” but he said no party was to “blame”.

The team signed up James Hinchcliffe instead.

Andretti said: “You’re always working two deals at once, because you never know which one is going to come through.”

As for the rumours of a Honda veto, he added: “Don’t believe everything you’ve been reading.

“We worked hard to get Fernando, but in the end we couldn’t come to terms and he ended up getting something he felt could be a better fit for him and went that way.”

Alonso, 38, has also confirmed that he has inked a deal with another team, but the identity of that team is not known.

It could be McLaren, even though Alonso was reportedly not keen on racing with his former F1 employer’s squad after the 2019 Indy 500 debacle.

“We’ve got two young drivers and they’re our priority,” said McLaren supremo Zak Brown, “so we need to make sure if we run a third car, it’s complementary and helping us with our bigger agenda.”

When asked specifically about Alonso, Brown added: “He wasn’t previously on our list, but now he is.

“He’s obviously a megastar and an immense talent that has already done one Indy 500, so it all goes back to making sure what we do is good for our two young guys.”