Fernando Alonso feared he would have to sit out Pole Day at the Indianapolis 500 after another Honda engine – irony of ironies – gave up on him. But, when the problem was sorted, the Spaniard qualified fifth for next Sunday’s race.
The double Formula One world champion came to the States to escape the woeful engines he has endured this season, only for another one to conk out.
After practice, a crowd of frantic mechanics expertly changed the engine in about an hour – a tremendous feat of dexterity and team-work – to ensure he could compete in the afternoon’s qualifying session.
He had already qualified on Saturday in the ‘Fast 9’ – the quickest group – with Sunday’s four-lap running determining what order the men on the three front rows of the grid would start. The other 24 cars competed among themselves to sort out their order.
There was a fairly strong wind that caused problems at Turn 2, but Alonso drove his McLaren-Honda-Andretti car very well. His average speed was 231.300mph. The pole performance by Chip Ganassi’s New Zealander Scott Dixon was 232.164mph, the fastest four-lap average since the record – an eye-watering 236.986mph – was set in 1996 by Arie Luyendyk.
‘I didn’t know in the morning if we’d even be in qualifying, admitted Alonso.
‘The team’s work was brilliant, people from all six of our cars helped mine, No 29, and I thank everyone involved.’
Asked if he was anxious, Alonso joked: ‘I’m used to it.’
He had an over-boost problem with the turbo-charger kicking in – which, in turn, causes the power to be cut automatically to balance out the advantage – and that meant he had to drop down a gear. ‘Given the problem I was really happy and surprised with the total time,’ added Alonso.
‘The car was better than yesterday. It was on the limit. It was definitely possible to get very close to pole. With the over-boost problem in the final corner, the engine felt as if it was hitting the brakes and I lost a bit.’
The risks Alonso faces were made all too evident on Saturday when Sebastien Bourdais suffered multiple fractures to his pelvis and broke his right hip in a high-speed crash during qualifying.
The 38-year-old Frenchman lost control at the exit of Turn One and smashed head-first into the barriers. The car then rolled before stopping with flames lapping around it.
Bourdais, who drives for Dale Coyne Racing, had surgery at the nearby IU Health Methodist Hospital on Saturday night. ‘The operation went well,’ said Dr Geoffrey Billows, the Speedway’s medical director. ‘I’ve met with Sebastien this morning and he was doing even better than I expected.’
Bourdais said: ‘I want to thank everyone for the support and messages. Quite a few drivers have already dropped by. It’s going to take time but I’m feeling pretty good since the surgery. I’ll be back at some point. I just don’t know when yet.’
Source: Fernando Alonso qualifies fifth for Indy 500 | Daily Mail Online
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