A Chevrolet engine will power Fernando Alonso’s McLaren at the 2019 Indianapolis 500 as part of the Spaniard’s quest for the Triple Crown. The announcement was released by the British team this past Tuesday.

The news came just a few days after the Spaniard confirmed his participation in the 24 Hours of Daytona 2019 with sister brand, Cadillac.

The champion from Oviedo will have at his disposal the Chevrolet 2.2-litre turbocharged direct–injected V6 IndyCar engine. This was the same engine that took Will Power and his Penske team to victory at the last edition of the legendary American race. The chassis, however, will be built by the Woking staff.

Chevrolet means success

The Detroit manufacturer seems to be a sure bet for performance… and success. Not in vain,  they have already won three editions at the Brickyard since they entered the North American competition.

McLaren has yet to declare the number of vehicles that will compete at the Indianapolis race. At the time of writing, only Fernando Alonso’s orange car is confirmed. In-house sources, however, have said more details will be released in due time.

McLaren delighted with Chevrolet

Bob Fernley, who has been named McLaren’s President for the  Indianapolis 500 in 2019, is confident that with such an engine they have a real chance of winning the legendary race: “As the reigning winning engine, the Chevrolet motor puts us in a strong position to contest this incredibly challenging event. We’ve quickly established a strong working relationship with the Chevrolet team, who are absolute professionals, committed to the challenge, and true racers.”

Similarly, the head of McLaren Racing, Ross Brown has enthusiastically welcomed the venture with the Michigan supplier and expressed his utmost confidence in his new partner: “McLaren and Chevrolet have a shared pedigree in North American motorsport and the opportunity to reunite the two brands for this special event was just too good to pass up (…) Like McLaren, Chevrolet has racing in its heart. The company’s reputation in IndyCar and at this special race is first-class and they will be a powerful partner.”

The dream of the Triple Crown

Slowly more details are being revealed about the most important race for ‘El Nano’ in the next season. The 2019 Indianapolis 500 is the last hurdle he has to overcome in order to win the Triple Crown of Motorsports.

The Spaniard wants to become the most complete runner of his time and in order to do so, he needs to win the honorific title. Only one driver before him has achieved such feat in the history of motorsport: the Briton Graham Hill.

This will be the second time he races at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. The first was in 2017. On that occasion, he retired with 21 laps to go due to a fault in his Honda engine.

Despite having to abandon in 2007, he led for 21 laps and was left with a great taste in his mouth. Perhaps the decision to go with Chevrolet this time is aimed at avoiding a repeat of last time’s issues with the Japanese engine.

Images: McLaren.