Fernando Alonso will get his Indy 500 preparations underway on May 3 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, only three days after the Russian Grand Prix.
Although practice for the coveted event does not officially start until the May 15 with the rookie orientation programme, Alonso has been offered a chance to acclimatise to oval racing.
Unlike fellow Indianapolis 500 rookies Zach Veach, Ed Jones and Jack Harvey, the double Formula 1 world champion has never competed on ovals or been behind the wheel of an Indy car.
Alonso will have a very busy month of May, as he will need to return to Europe for the Spanish Grand Prix on May 12-14, before then immediately flying back to Indianapolis for the first official practice session.