Alonso pleased to get 'stuck in traffic' at Indy

©McLarenHondaAndretti

Fernando Alonso enjoyed his second day of practice at Indianapolis as the Spaniard gained crucial experience with running in the pack.

The McLaren Honda Andretti driver imbed himself early on in traffic completing 117 laps and clocking in 24th fastest at 221.029mph.

"It was a very positive and productive day with a lot of laps and a lot of learning," said Alonso.

"We did some group running finally with some traffic, information that I will sleep on and be a better oval driver tomorrow."

As he got acquainted with the intricacies of running in traffic, Alonso was helped by his five Andretti Autosport team mates who provided the McLaren driver with a few on-track position simulations and maneuvers.

"It felt OK, it felt as I expected," he said.

"Obviously, here it is very important to keep close to the car in front of you to take the benefit on the next straight, so it was useful.

"My teammates were amazing helping me. I knew they were taking care of me in some moments of the run, so that was good.

"It’s the first time for me, learning here and there every lap when I follow them – what they do, how they attack the next corner or the next lap, how they prepare the overtaking."

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Alonso has completely immersed himself into the world of oval racing, conducting morning sessions in Honda's simulator to accelerate his progress before taking to the Speedway in the afternoon.

"It’s 24 hours dedication for the last month and a half," said Alonso.

"Studying the data that the team provides me, watching a lot of videos of races from the past years.

"In the morning, I go to the simulator, in the afternoons I come here and I keep doing laps and learning.

"We didn’t put everything together because there’s no time to. We keep experimenting on the setup, experimenting on running in traffic.

"But I think we will arrive quite OK for qualifying and the race."

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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.