Brown wants McLaren to race every year at Indy

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McLaren boss Zak Brown would love to see the Woking-based become a fixture at Indianapolis and compete in the Indy 500 on a regular basis.

McLaren is teaming up with Andretti Autosports to enter Fernando Alonso in next month's prestigious event, marking the first return of the manufacturer since the 1970s.

Speaking at the Barber Indycar round in Alabama this weekend, Brown reiterated his belief that McLaren should have an annual presence at the Brickyard.

"I would like to see McLaren-Honda competing at Indianapolis every year," he said.

"Originally I thought this was an idea we could pursue in 2018.

"Given the circumstances of how we are running in Formula 1 right now, and Fernando's desire and our desire, and Honda's desire, this created a very, very small window of opportunity that we jumped on.

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"McLaren is a big fan of IndyCar racing, we think it's fantastic motorsports and I've personally been around it my whole life so I'm very excited on a personal level to be here.

"I'd like to see McLaren here on a more regular basis.

"And would we do it with Fernando again? Absolutely. I hope that we have the problem of Monaco and Indy in the same weekend and we are fighting for the championship.

"So what happens in 2018? We'll have to wait and see, because obviously we're working very hard to get Fernando and Stoffel Vandoorne a much more competitive [F1] car than we are producing right now."

Like McLaren, Fernando Alonso is also open to a return to Indy but only after assessing his run next month in the blue ribbon event.

"Whatever the result we will achieve on the Sunday, we will think together what is the future from that point," Alonso said.

"I’m very open. If I want to to be the most complete driver in the world or the best driver in the world, then I want to experience all the different cars and different driving techniques, and I need to adapt and grow up as a driver.

"And if I want to do that, I need to win it and if it’s not this year then we need to plan it for the next event."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.