Q: I have been thinking about the Alonso, Honda thing for a while now — well, two years now. I can see where Alonso could have riled the collective proud feathers of the Honda heads, but was any of it not true? Honda’s Formula 1 engine for the entire time Fernando was there was, lets face it, flawed at best and often a joke. Is it just me or is there a growing number of people, formerly Honda fans (and customers) that are beginning to see the Honda Motor Company as a bunch of thin skinned, vindictive grudge holders who can’t face the unpleasant truth?

James VanMeter, Highland, CA

RM: All I’m told is that the Japanese are a proud group that doesn’t forgive and forget so I’m not sure a public apology would have even saved Fred but I wish he’d done one just to try and mend the fences. And know that American Honda was fine with him returning to Andretti.

Q: Alonso will only run the Indy 500 if he has a good chance to win. There are only three teams that have a good chance to win any Indy Car race: Ganassi, Andretti and Penske. Since Ganassi and Andretti are both Honda teams he has no chance of a drive with them. That leaves Penske. I believe now that R.P. owns both the series and IMS he absolutely wants Alonso to be in the 500, if for nothing other than the huge International publicity that would be generated. He’s said he won’t run a fifth car but he’s done it before. Or he tells Helio it’s been a great run but time to move on and makes Alonso his fourth entry. The only other team that I think would even be a possibility is Ed Carpenter, who always does well at Indy. I think Penske could help make that happen. Your thoughts?

Rick Hughes, Deer River, MN

RM: I think I’ve got a better shot at driving the pace car and giving the command than R.P. running a fifth car or bumping Helio for Alonso. Ain’t gonna happen. But I intend to ask R.P. on Friday at his IMS press conference if IndyCar would consider helping Fred find a ride for May.

Q: With Honda putting a monkey wrench in the Alonso/Andretti Indy 500 drive, where do you see him going? Alonso wants to win, so I don’t see him driving for a Chevy backmarker. With ECR interested in Kyle Busch if he runs an extra car. (I think Busch moves the needle more than Alonso), It looks like going to Arrow McLaren SP may be his only option.

Joe Mullins

RM: He only cares about having another shot at running up front and Arrow McLaren SP might have a shot at that with Craig Hampson but that appears to be his only option.

How many hands will it take to put Alonso back on track at Indy? Image by Michael Levitt/LAT

Q: Much has been said and written about the ongoing saga of where Alonso can or will end up for Indy, if he’s there at all. Since Honda has pulled the rug out from under the Alonso/Andretti partnership you had pointed out that maybe Fred’s best/last opportunity lies with Arrow McLaren SP. (I’m assuming they have enough steering wheels now). While I agree that is probably his best option I’d like to throw out kind of a “feel good option” as well. How about an Alonso/Juncos partnership for Indy? They run Chevys so you can check that box off. How ironic would it be for Fred to drive for the “Little Team That Could” that knocked him out of Indy in 2019?

Obviously, Alonso brings a decent amount of sponsorship and lord knows Juncos needs it. They are pretty darn good at making the most out of every dollar and I can only imagine that if this partnership were to ever happen there would be plenty more companies/people willing to throw some money at the effort. Long shot? Hell yes! But what a great story! Ricardo Juncos is an unbelievable story in his own right so I’m guessing it would generate quite a bit of press. A successful month of May would go a long way to help Juncos run some more races (with Alonso or somebody else). Thoughts?  

By the way, how’s the golf game, Robin? Do you remember a trip to Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio in the late ’80s with Tom Sneva and his business partner? I was the fourth that day. You rode with me in the cart. Keep up the good work! Hope to run into you at Indy this year (my 50th).

Brett Padgett, Hudson, Ohio (But a born and raised Hoosier)

RM: It would be a great story and a shot in the arm for an owner that IndyCar needs to be around for a long time but not sure Alonso has any sponsors and I don’t think he cares about being a feel-good story. He simply wants to duplicate what happened in 2017 and that’s probably not going to happen. I do remember you and I imagine Sneva bought dinner? Just kidding.

Q: With the speculation that Michael would run Alonso at the 500 this year, I got to thinking. If this were to become a reality it means that Michael would have run five cars this May. So my question: is there no maximum number of engines a team can get from its manufacturer? Does IndyCar have a maximum number of engines a team can negotiate on its engine lease per year or per race?

Also, I was under the impression that the two current OEM engine suppliers were at maximum capacity or close to it in recent years, so how is it appears that they can supply engines for at least the Indy 500 to whomever can write the check. If Michael can’t run Alonso, would he run the entry with another driver? I ask as it would seem logical that Michael had at least lined up or realigned resources within the organization to run field the entry.

Warbird Willie

RM: Actually, it would have been six cars with Fred (Rossi, Hunter-Reay, Veach, Marco, Herta) and Honda and Chevrolet always make provisions for extra engines in May. I don’t think Michael has any interest in trying to run that sixth car without Alonso and I don’t know of any maximum number of engines per team.

Q: Marshall Pruett’s podcast with Ed Carpenter was an excellent listen on one of the more understated IndyCar teams and drivers. However, Ed is starting to enter that path of Tony Stewart or Sam Hornish, of the will he or won’t he win the Indy 500? So, Is this the year that he pulls it off? Is the support staff strong enough to pull it off? Or are we going to be wondering like we did with Smoke and not able to win the 500 down the road?

Heath Florkey

RM: I hope so because he’s been so close and it would be a great story and also help cement the future of ECR. Ed led the most laps in 2018, he’s a three-time pole winner and his pit stops are right with the Big 3, so no reason he can’t win.