Alonso out of Indy 500 after engine failure

Twice Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso's Indianapolis 500 bid ended when the Spaniard's engine expired late in the race on Sunday.

Fernando Alonso, of Spain, makes his way back to the garage area after dropping out with an engine problem during the running of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday.

Twice Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso's Indianapolis 500 bid ended when the Spaniard's engine expired late in the race on Sunday.

Match Report

Alonso, who was making his IndyCar debut and started the race in fifth position, was running in the top 10 with 21 laps to go in the 200-lap race when his Honda engine suddenly failed.

Alonso put on a thrilling show and even led 27 laps third most in the race but he was sent to the paddock when his engine blew with 20 laps remaining.

“We didn’t build the thing that was smoking down the front straight,” said McLaren boss Zak Brown, who engineered Alonso’s trip to Indianapolis. Part of the reason Alonso was able to skip F1’s showcase Monaco Grand Prix earlier Sunday for Indy is because the McLaren team and its Honda power have grossly underperformed this season and Alonso is not a current title contender.

The crowd gave the Spaniard a standing ovation as he climbed from his car.

“I felt the noise, the engine friction, I backed off and I saw the smoke and, yeah, it’s a shame,” Alonso said. “It’s a very nice surprise to come here with big names, big guys, the best in open-wheel racing and be competitive.”