Fernando Alonso is readying himself for a hectic month which will include swapping in-flight movies for re-runs of previous Indy 500 races as he prepares for his appearance at the iconic oval race.
Alonso has just over six weeks until he lines up at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, during which time he will compete in three races -- including this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix. The Spaniard will fly from the third and final one of those races, the Spanish Grand Prix, straight to Indianapolis for two weeks of practice ahead of the race.
In order to be ready to compete Alonso has a busy itinerary which begins with visiting Andretti Autosport at Barber Motorsports Park ahead of the third round of the IndyCar season and may include a private test in the time between Russia and Spain.
"Next weekend [after Bahrain] I will be in Alabama just visiting the race and meeting the team members to see how things go there," Alonso said. "Probably on Monday after the race I will do the seat fitting, and then I will fly to Russia [for the grand prix].
"After Russia, I will try to be in Indianapolis for a couple of simulator days, hopefully test the car but it's not 100 per cent sure, and after that I will go to the Spanish Grand Prix and then fly to America on Sunday after the race."
Even for a Formula One driver, the schedule involves a daunting amount of air miles in a short spell of time, but Alonso plans to use every spare minute to prepare himself for the event as best he can.
"On the planes, I will try and look at some videos and races from past years and try to learn as quick as I can. It's completely different skills that you need there, to adapt to the car and circuit, strategies, ways of racing that close and at that speed. Many things I have to learn and I am not ready at the moment."
Alonso has ruled out the possibility of doing more than one IndyCar race this season and he plans to use the time between Indianapolis and his return to the F1 scene in Canada for a well-earned rest, whether he returns home with the famous Borg-Warner Trophy in tow or not.
"It's a one-off. I will do the Indy 500 because it's the race, it's the biggest race in the world and the fastest race in the world. After that, especially after Indy and Canada probably, I will be two weeks in the living room watching television and relaxing."