McLaren Honda on Wednesday gave its star driver the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream when it handed Fernando Alonso a spot on the starting grid for the Indianapolis 500.
The shock announcement means the two-time Formula One champion will miss the Monaco Grand Prix, one of the marquee events on the sport's calendar, but will give McLaren the chance to return to one of the world's most iconic races for the first time in 38 years.
"I've won the Monaco Grand Prix twice, and it's one of my ambitions to win the triple crown (the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500 and the Le Mans 24 Hours), which has been achieved by only one driver in the history of motorsport: Graham Hill," Alonso said in a team statement.