McLaren Racing has unveiled Fernando Alonso’s IndyCar livery ahead of the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500.
The striking orange papaya returns to the car, very similar to the colours the team use in Formula 1 and what Alonso raced in his effort at the 2017 event.
His race number has also changed from the #29 he used in 2017 to #66. The number bears a special relationship with the Woking-based team as Mark Donohue won the 1972 race in a McLaren M16B ran by Team Penske.
Alonso is due to take part in a private test at Texas Motor Speedway tomorrow to acclimatise himself to the new universal aerokit which was introduced in 2018.
The Spaniard is chasing the final event in motorsport’s unofficial ‘triple crown’ after knocking up two Monaco Grand Prix wins in 2006 and 2007 and the 24 hours of Le Mans win in 2018.
McLaren will be powered by Chevrolet for the event after the team’s relationship with Japanese manufacturer Honda broke down during their struggles in F1.
Carlin is providing a technical relationship with McLaren to help both teams share data across the famous event, this will mean Alonso will be able to share and access data from the trio of Max Chilton, Charlie Kimball, IndyCar rookie Patricio O’Ward.
"I’m excited we are finally able to reveal to the world the #66 car which I’ll be racing with McLaren at the Indy 500 in May," said Fernando Alonso.
"The team at the McLaren factory has worked very hard to build this car ready for our return to the iconic Brickyard and I think it looks fantastic in the 2019 McLaren Racing colours.
"My hopes for the race remain the same, to win and achieve the Triple Crown, and I’m looking forward to meeting the fantastic US fans who made me feel so welcome first time around."
Practice for the Indianapolis 500 gets underway on Tuesday, May 14.
