Fernando Alonso needs a miracle at the Indy 500

Fernando Alonso from Asturias will start from 26th place in the Indy 500 while Alex Palou managed to be seventh and will be in the 'Fast Nine

The Spanish rider Fernando Alonso tasted the adrenaline and speed of the Indianapolis oval this Saturday but was far from the fastest, the 'Fast 9' which will fight for pole on Sunday and where Alex Palou will also be, so he will have to pull off an epic in the 500 miles on the 23rd.

The double F1 World Champion, with his Ruoff Arrow McLaren SP Chevy number 66, lived a complicated classification day, with the 26th he will have on the grid, as it will also be to see him win in a week the only test he needs to have the 'Triple Crown'. So, the average speed of the Spaniard in his four timed laps was 228.678 miles per hour (368 km/h).

"I didn't have the speed, but I'm still happy with the laps. I have interesting people around. It's always a bit intense the four laps of Indy, now there's one day less for the big day," Alonso wrote on Twitter, in his third round of the race, with a Chevrolet engine well ahead of the Honda.

Meanwhile, another Spaniard and rookie like Alex Palou managed to finish seventh and will be in Sunday's Fast Nine, a new session that will decide the top nine starting positions. The 104th edition of this mythical race, which will have to be held without the 300,000 people in the stands due to the pandemic of the COVID-19, is controlled at the moment by the Andretti Autosport team, with four cars in the first four positions.

Marco Andretti finished first on Saturday (231.351 mph), ahead of Ryan Hunter-Reay and Alexander Rossi. The Indy oval still has a lot to say, not being used to the August heat when the race is usually run in May.