Indy 500 103

[JRS]

Yep, definitely a McLaren operation.

If Alonso is serious about running the 500 again he'd better start offering his services to teams who know how to go racing at Indy...or indeed, know how to go racing at anywhere.

 

[The_Abyss]

Wow, that's utterly damning.

 

[Alibaba99]

Those who go to the circuit ... I'm not quite sure. Nice day out with 250,000 other people?

It's good on TV though, interesting mix of speed and strategy while averaging 220mph.

With the infield seating it holds a bit more than 250000, it's closer to 400000.

 

[vanpeebles]

Shameful with all the money and facilities they have. An embarrassment to British motorsport.

 

[Flibster]

It gets better... As they didn't have the steering wheel, they bought one from Cosworth.
It arrived and didn't have the paddle shifters. Reason? Because McLaren didn't order them.

*speechless*

 

[GravyMonster]

Alonso went out to practice Sunday with an entirely new setup, but in the frantic changeover a mistake was made in converting inches to the metric system the English team uses and the car scraped and sparked on his first lap. It had to be fixed and Alonso got in just five more laps before rain ended the session.

When it came time for Alonso to make his final last-gasp qualifying attempt late Sunday afternoon, the Spaniard was given a car that Brown and de Ferran were concerned might not perform.

“Gil and I went to the motorhome and told Fernando: ‘We are going to try this, but this could go well or really wrong. Are you comfortable?’” Brown said. “And Fernando said, ‘Let’s go for it.’”

Respect to Alonso here. That takes massive balls to go out and do 230+ mph in a hastily built car with an untested setup.

 

[drunkenmaster]

Respect to Alonso here. That takes massive balls to go out and do 230+ mph in a hastily built car with an untested setup.

I think anyone in the world could go out there and go 230+ mpg... you'd have to be ridiculously slow to get that kind of fuel efficiency.

 

[MagicBoy]

It gets better... As they didn't have the steering wheel, they bought one from Cosworth.
It arrived and didn't have the paddle shifters. Reason? Because McLaren didn't order them.

*speechless*

The steering wheel is a spec part from Cosworth who supply some of the electronics. Just an oversight I'd expect as they're used to building from scratch, not running an off the shelf car.

 

[The_Abyss]

Respect to Alonso here. That takes massive balls to go out and do 230+ mph in a hastily built car with an untested setup.

I don't know, McLaren and Alonso have had a pretty good relationship with safety in the past. They've only electrocuted him once*



* allegedly.

 

[wesley]

nm

 

[Flibster]

That's got to be a pretty stressful job. Playing Taps with a camera right in your face...

 

[Bubo]

Ok, this is the first time I have heard Alex Brundle's voice. What the ****? Is this witchcraft or something? I can understand a kid looking quite like their dad, but sounding EXACTLY like him in every respect is just plain spooky.

 

[vanpeebles]

I was thinking the same thing!

 

[vanpeebles]

Oh no, more tooty parpers.

 

[Bubo]

Just to reiterate this Alex Brundle voice thing, it has to heard to be believed. If Martin ever does pops his cloggs them at least there is a like for like replacement ready to go.

 

[Flibster]

Just seen that Santino Ferrucci is racing...

I was expecting NASCAR to be his natural home after his F2 antics.

 

[MagicBoy]

Yeah, there's something unbelievably broken with a world where he makes the Indy 500 and Fred doesn't...

 

[Yas786]

Eurghh I remember the days of the Indy 500 where the cars looked at least half decent. But now they look like utter turd...

 

[MagicBoy]

Eh? The 2018 aero kit is a massive visual improvement over the 2012 original. No racecar has the purity of lines of the late 80s, early 90s stuff. This is better than most.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

The American commentary is horrific.