Montoya vs Alonso: Who will win the triple crown?
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Both pilots will try to achieve the maximum motorsport distinction in 2019
The Triple Crown of car racing is the highest unofficial distinction of motorsport and is achieved by winning the Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Monaco's Formula 1 Grand Prix, although the latter can be replaced with the F1 world title.
Leer en español: Montoya vs Alonso ¿Quién ganará la triple corona del automovilismo?
Achieving this distinction is extremely difficult, and as proof of this is the fact that only one driver has achieved the Motorsports Triple Crown of in all of history: the British Graham Hill, in 1972. According to SoyMotor, 12 pilots managed to win two of the three races mentioned above, but all failed to match Hill's feat.
However, this 2019 will bring two drivers whose options to win the Triple Crown are valid: the Spanish driver Fernando Alonso, who only needs to win the Indianapolis 500, and the Colombian pilot Juan Pablo Montoya, who only has left the victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Will they be able to climb to the top of world motorsports?
Fernando Alonso: the union of overwhelming teams to win in Indianapolis
The Spanish driver confirmed on November 10, 2018, that he will run the 103rd edition of the Indianapolis 500, which will take place on Sunday, May 26. The Spaniard will race with the McLaren Racing team, who will use a Chevrolet engine, which means a highly winning combination.
According to the IndyCar, Mclaren has only won the Indianapolis 500 on 3 occasions: 1972, 1974 and 1976, and although these triumphs happened a long time ago, their cooperation with Chevrolet gives them strength and greatly enhances them. According to Motorsport, the North American company has won 73 of the IndyCar's 118 races in which it has participated as a motorist, in addition to having achieved six titles of manufacturers and five owners.
Similarly, Chevrolet provided the engine with which Will Power and Penske won the last edition of the Indianapolis race. "Like Mclaren, Chevrolet carries the competition in its heart. Their reputation in IndyCar and in this race is very high, and they will be a powerful partner," said Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO.
Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso already has an experience in Indianapolis: the Spanish competed in 2017 in McLaren's and Andretti Autosport's team. Although he led 27 laps he retired in the final stages of the race due to mechanical problems. "It's a difficult race and we are facing the best, so it will be a great challenge," Alonso said in an interview with IndyCar.
According to the newspaper AS, the car of the promising combination McLaren-Chevrolet will arrive in the coming days so that companies can work on it and can send it to the track for the first time in April. "The cars will arrive in the middle or end of January. Our current plan is to take them to the McLaren Technology Center, where we will have a car development program," said Zak Brown, who also said that they have some sponsors and half of the contracted team. The possibilities of Alonso in the 103rd edition of the 500 Miles of Indianapolis seem to be increasing more and more with the passing of the days.
Read also: Formula E is the new challenge of Felipe Massa
Juan Pablo Montoya: still without confirming participation, but with a good experience in Le Mans
The Colombian driver is not yet confirmed in the 87th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which will run from June 15 to 16, because the competition has not announced the registered competitors. According to the official website of the prestigious race, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) will announce the 60 competitors as follows: 50 pilots on February 11, and 10 registered plus 10 reservations on March 1.
Juan Pablo Montoya chances of competing this year in Le Mans could be high if it is taken into account his participation last year in this race. According to the newspaper Marca, the Colombian finished in the seventh position of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2018, but the disqualification after the race of several teams for technical infractions allowed Montoya and his teammates from United Autosports, Will Owen and Hugo of Sadeleer, ascend to the competition's podium.
This year, it may be historic for motorsport worldwide if the Spanish and the Colombian specify their options to win the Triple Crown of Motorsports. Can Alonso achieve this sporting milestone in the Indianapolis 500? Or will Montoya succeed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans? He has started one of the most important careers in history.
LatinAmerican Post | Javier Aldana
Translated from: 'Montoya vs Alonso ¿Quién ganará la triple corona del automovilismo?'
