INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY -- Mario Andretti wants Formula One's top stars to follow Fernando Alonso's example by attempting the Indy 500 in future.
Alonso's participation in this year's event as created a level of interest not seen since Nigel Mansell's move to IndyCar in 1993. His participation is linked to Honda's failure to deliver a competitive engine for the third year in a row, with Alonso still waiting to find an F1 car capable of giving him a shot at the third world championship which has eluded him since his back-to-back triumphs in 2005 and 2006.
Andretti, who won the Indy 500 in 1969, wants to see the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel follow suit. "I would like to see Lewis, I would like to see any of the top drivers come here," Andretti told ESPN.
"Absolutely. It would only be great for the sport in general. All of them have a huge fan base and so forth... bring Kimi over, bring Vettel over, bring anybody! I'd love to see that, period."
Andretti thinks it benefits everyone when someone decides to switch to a different series.
"Honestly, I think it's good for everyone, it's even good for Formula One. We're all racers, we have fans that love Formula One, love IndyCar, love NASCAR. It kind of brings it all together. Additional interest anywhere... can you imagine one of the top guys from here getting the chance to be in the third car in Mercedes or Ferrari, it would be insane!
"That's why I'm always lobbying for that and I hope they hear me. All these things are good for the sport, all around, not just the segment. It's been a while since we've seen a Formula One driver here in IndyCar and the path was good. A couple of them were very, very successful here!"