Alonso fails to qualify for Indy500 at first attempt

Fernando Alonso failed to make it through the first qualifying segment for the Indianapolis 500, meaning he faces a last-gasp scramble to make it through a six-way shootout for the final three places on the grid for next week's race.

Alonso's average speed in the #66 McLaren was just 0.02 mph slower than the 30th-placed Pippa Mann.

Six-time IndyCar race-winner James Hinchcliffe is another notable name in the bottom six, alongside Sage Karam, Max Chilton, Patricio O'Ward and Kyle Kaiser. Alonso, O'Ward and Kaiser all suffered big crashes during this week's practice sessions.

"We didn't have the speed, so we are where we deserve (to be) today," Alonso said. "I hope tomorrow we have another chance to be in the race.

"If we can't make it, we can't make it, and it's because we don't deserve it.

"It was a difficult day. It was a difficult week in general, but a difficult day today. In the morning, the conditions weren't too bad.

View this post on Instagram

Not fast enough today. Simple. We will give our best tomorrow. 🙏. #indy500

A post shared by Fernando Alonso (@fernandoalo_oficial) on May 18, 2019 at 3:28pm PDT

"We thought we could have a great (speed) number, but things were moving quickly. We went out at 1 p.m. and had a puncture at that time.

"We waited to go out later when the conditions were cooler, and they were, so we took a chance and tried to improve. But it wasn't enough.

"We need to stay calm. It's a different moment for everyone on the team and for me, but there's not much we can do now.

"The speed we have is not enough to be in the top 30. We will try to do something overnight, but there is not much we can find from one day to the next. Hopefully it's enough to get into the top three positions of the six."

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