Zak Brown isn’t done dreaming of unfinished business – and that dream wears a familiar helmet and involves ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’.
The McLaren Racing CEO has made it abundantly clear that if Fernando Alonso ever feels the tug of Indianapolis again, the door at Arrow McLaren isn’t just open… it’s practically being held wide with both hands.
Alonso’s relationship with the Indy 500 has always carried a hint of cinematic drama. Three attempts, two successful qualifications, and one near-mythical 2017 debut that had him leading laps, thrilling American crowds, and flirting with victory before a cruel engine failure snatched the fairy tale away.
Since his last appearance in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 edition, the Spaniard has stayed away from motorsport’s blue riband event, but Brown’s latest comments suggest the reunion script is never far from his mind.
An Open Seat – and an Open Invitation
Speaking at the grand opening of the new McLaren Racing Center on Wednesday in Indianpolis, Brown first turned his attention to the team’s immediate Indy 500 plans, welcoming 2014 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay into this year’s expanded line-up alongside Pato O’Ward, Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel.
“Starting with Ryan, (I am) very happy to have Ryan in the car this year,” Brown said. “He's definitely capable of winning the Indy 500, so I think our odds have gone up by putting Ryan in the car.”
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Yet the conversation inevitably drifted toward the name that continues to hover over McLaren’s Indianapolis ambitions like a persistent echo — Alonso.
Now 44 and entering the final year of his current Aston Martin deal, the two-time Formula 1 world champion sits one Indy 500 victory away from completing motorsport’s elusive Triple Crown, a club with just one permanent member: Graham Hill.
“But post that and post when Fernando stops in F1, this is his last contractual year, doesn't mean he won't continue, but I talk to him about it like every time I see him,” Brown said.
The Triple Crown Temptation
For Brown, the appeal is both emotional and competitive. Alonso’s 2017 run left a lasting imprint – not just on fans, but inside the McLaren camp itself.
“I think we've got a car that can win the Indy 500. And I think he's very capable of winning the Indy 500,” Brown added.
“I thoroughly enjoyed racing with him here. He enjoyed it all but one of the years, but loved the first year. I mean, it was magic.”
There is no corporate diplomacy here, no vague “maybe someday.” Brown’s tone is closer to that of a promoter already selling tickets to a sequel he desperately wants produced.
“I'd love to see Fernando back at the Indy 500 with us. That is something I'll continue to bug him about,” he concluded.
And so the invitation remains — unsigned, undated, but undeniably alive. In a sport built on speed and precision, this is one story still happily running on hope and persistence.
If Alonso ever decides to chase that final jewel again, McLaren won’t just answer the phone. They’ll already have the car warming up in pit lane.
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