McLaren to send small support crew to Indy for Alonso

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McLaren's Zak Brown has revealed that McLaren will be sending a small delegation to help Andretti Autosports with its efforts in running Fernando Alonso in next month's Indy 500.

The Spanish driver will be driving a jointly entered McLaren, Honda and Andretti Autosport car with Woking-based personnel directly involved in the project.

"Andretti Autosport will take the lead," Brown told broadcaster NBCSN.

"Michael will be calling the race. It will be his team over the wall. We are sending out a small crew to support.

"We have some areas where some of the technology we’ve developed will be beneficial. From everything to the technology on the car to some of our people.

"We’ve got some people with some great IndyCar experience. We can’t detract or remove any effort towards our Formula 1 (effort). It will be people from the factory that will have relevant experience."

Brown also confirmed McLarens longer-term goal of one day fielding its own Indycar effort.

"I would like to see the Indy 500 being part of McLaren’s annual racing efforts when we go racing," Brown said.

"We have to make sure we do it competitively; it has to be commercially viable and fits our brand. We feel IndyCar and the Indianapolis 500 offer all those things to McLaren.

"I’d say a full season program in McLaren is not yet under full consideration and would be years away because that would be a tall order."

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