Alonso says race more important than pole

Alonso at speed

Fernando Alonso says running in traffic and learning how to pass is more important than the pole position for the Indy 500. He got in a good number of laps on Monday but a rear suspension problem on the McLaren Honda Andretti entry meant he was unable to take part in the traffic and drafting run his teammates made in the final hour

“We had some issues with the rear suspension and we could not complete the program that was planned – to run a little bit in traffic at the end of the day," said Alonso.

“But overall, it was an amazing day, happier than the first day with the car because I was able to feel some of the setup changes that we were planning in the morning.

“Traffic is still the thing that I need to go through in the next couple of days, so that is something that I need to chase a bit more in the program. But I did two or three laps behind some cars when they were going out of the pitlane and it was good fun, so I’m looking forward to it."

"Definitely a much better day, a much better feeling. I was able to start driving the car today.

"There’s still a long way for me to work, to learn, but definitely I feel I made some good steps today. I was a little bit concerned about the conditions, but the car felt good. It felt as good as in the test and I was able to make some setup changes without losing the confidence in the car.

“When I jumped in the car today, I saw the flags and it seems that it was quite a strong wind. But in the car, I did not feel any wind issues so that was a positive thing. In the test we did here two weeks ago, the wind that picked up in the afternoon made the car a little bit more difficult, but the car worked perfectly OK in all four corners."

"In my case, qualifying is not very important," said Alonso. "When you are out there, you want to feel fast so it’s a question of enjoyment, not only the final position.

"But I think the priority for us in my garage is to set up the car for the race, to feel comfortable in traffic, to learn as much as I can. The way to overtake, the place to overtake, how you lose the minimum of momentum in those maneuvers.

"There are many things that I don’t know now and I need to learn quickly, so let’s see what we can do in qualifying. But definitely, the race preparation will be the first priority."