Stefan Wilson frustrated handshake deal with Andretti for 2018 Indy 500 isn't done

INDIANAPOLIS – Stefan Wilson had hoped the deal would be struck by now. He had hoped his promised ride with Andretti Autosport for the 2018 Indianapolis 500 would be locked, loaded and ready to go.

But four months after he sacrificed his seat in the world’s most famous race so that Formula One megastar Fernando Alonso could take his shot at history, Wilson said there’s still a ways to go in the negotiation process with the team that’s won three of the past four 500s.

“From my standpoint, I guess I was kind of hoping it would be a bit more cut and dried,” said Wilson, who had thought the deal for the 2018 race would be done before the end of May. “After kind of doing them a huge favor in May this year … I was hoping this would be more of a simple process.”

It’s not that Andretti is backing out of its promise to Wilson. He knows that, and team boss Michael Andretti confirmed as much Wednesday.

“We are excited to welcome him back to the family for the 2018 Indy 500," said Andretti, whom team officials said was surprised that Wilson was fretting about the deal. "The final details are still coming together and we look forward to having more to share in the coming months.”

But the details are where this deal is getting held up. Wilson was hesitant to reveal too much of what is a continuing negotiation, but he said the snag in the discussions is figuring out what exactly was promised back in April and making sure that it is delivered.

Unfortunately, the Alonso pact came together so quickly, Wilson said, that nothing was put on paper. There was only time for a handshake deal, but what they shook hands on is seemingly up for debate.

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“I guess we all had different understandings of how this is supposed to work,” Wilson said. “I’m trying to make sure this is the best opportunity for myself, and Andretti has to figure out how that fits within their team."

Wilson is adamant that any deal ensures he is treated like other members of the Andretti fold. He doesn’t want to just be a part of the monthlong spectacle; he wants at legitimate shot at winning the race. If he doesn’t have that, then what’s the point?

“I cannot afford to go back to Indy and not perform well," said Wilson, who finished 28th for KV Racing Technology in 2016, his lone 500 start. "If I know I’ve got exactly the same chances as all the rest of the guys on the team, and I don’t perform well, at least then I know. … But to go back to Indy and not have the opportunity to show what I can do and to not have a good outcome would just be so demoralizing. I want to go back there and prove something, really.”

While continuing to prioritize working out a deal with Andretti, Wilson has entered conversations with other teams, including Dale Coyne Racing and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, to guard against his deal with Andretti "going awry."

He doesn’t anticipate that happening, but added that he’d be crazy not to at least explore other options that could potentially be more beneficial.

“What I want to happen here is to work something out with Michael and his team,” Wilson said. “That’s the first option because they’ve been so competitive at Indy. ... (But) it has to make sense from both a performance standpoint and also, I won’t beat around the bush here, it also has to make sense financially as well. I have to put bread on the table.”

When told of Wilson’s frustrations, Andretti team president J-F Thormann seemed stunned. Thormann said that after meeting with Wilson and his people more than a month ago, he was under the impression the 27-year-old British driver was happy with the way the deal was progressing.

When he heard that Wilson had checked in with other teams, Thormann said, “We didn’t know that. OK. Disappointing.”

Thormann told IndyStar on Thursday that Andretti still has every intention of honoring, and in some cases improving, the deal Wilson struck last year with Michael Shank Racing, which was under the Andretti fold for the 500.

Thormann said Wilson would be incorporated into the team’s engineering program and that he would have an Andretti employee as his engineer. He also added that Andretti is doing this deal at “an incredible price," so he is unsure where Wilson's frustrations might stem from — but he has a guess.

“Sometimes what happens with some drivers if you’re running a four-car team and you get the fifth car, they end up thinking that, ‘I’ll have the crummy car or be the afterthought.' But if you think about it, (Carlos) Munoz ran that program and ended up being rookie of the year (2013). Kurt Busch ran that program and was rookie of the year (2014). Fernando Alonso ran the program and he was rookie of the year (2017). Townsend Bell ran that program and would have or could have won the race if he hadn’t run into (Ryan) Hunter-Reay. Our fifth car has probably been more successful than our current cars in some respects. The extra car has always been good, so I’m not sure if he thinks he’ll be relegated to a crummy car or something, but I think he’ll end up being pleased.”

At the end of the day, Wilson said, it doesn't matter which team he's running with at the 500, so as long as it gives him the best chance to win. As for his future beyond the 500, Wilson is unsure. He doesn't see a full-time IndyCar ride materializing any time soon, though that is his dream.

"Obviously the primary goal is more IndyCar races," said Wilson, who has just two such races on his resume. "I would love to run a full season. But failing that, I'm paying a lot more attention to the sports car scene, seeing what opportunities might be out there. Honestly, if it has four wheels and a engine, I'll drive it. I'm not picky right now; I'll drive whatever I can get into."

Follow IndyStar Motor Sports Insider Jim Ayello on Twitter and Instagram: @jimayello.