Another driver is more likely to win the ‘Triple Crown’ before Fernando Alonso, according to the most recent Indianapolis 500 winner.

Simon Pagenaud believes his Penske sportscar team mate Juan Pablo Montoya is likely to complete the triple before Alonso does.

Alonso and Montoya are each one win away from completing the ‘triple crown’ of victories in the Monaco Grand Prix, Le Mans 24 Hours and Indianapolis 500.

Montoya took his first of two Indy 500 victories in 2000 and won the Monaco Grand Prix three years later. He made his only Le Mans appearance to date last year, in an LMP2 car which was unlikely to challenge for overall victory. He finished third in class, while Alonso took his first of two Le Mans victories in his LMP1 Toyota.

Alonso has also won twice at Monaco. He made an impressive Indianapolis debut in 2017, leading 27 laps, but failed to qualify when he and McLaren returned for a solo effort this year.

Pagenaud, who won the race, said “probably more likely” to win the triple crown before Alonso, “because Juan Pablo is doing sportscar racing full-time there and he is very good at it.”

“Juan Pablo is just as good as he ever was, quite frankly. Put him in any car, he can step in and be competitive right away. He knows the kind of racing that is so he doesn’t have to learn much, he just needs to be in the right situation. And I assure you he would win it. If I was to put him in the right situation I know he could do it, he will get it done.

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“Fernando has so much more to learn. So much more he needs to be investing, he needs to have the best engine that year, he needs to have the best team mates to help him out, there’s a lot to do so it’s a lot more complicated.”

It took Pagenaud eight attempts to win the Indianapolis 500. Afterwards he broke with convention by driving to the start/finish line, instead of Victory Lane, and celebrating in front of the fans. He said he did it to thank them for the support they had shown him as a foreign driver.

“It was intentional to celebrate with the fans. It was intentional to look at them and thank them for the support. The support I have in Indianapolis, for a Frenchman, is incredible. I can’t walk to a restaurant, it’s just nuts.

“People over there, even though you’re a foreigner, some Americans will support you more than you would support an American driver. It’s really surprising. I don’t think it’s the same way in Europe. I want to be thankful for that and grateful.

“I’ve had such great support that I wanted to celebrate with them. Frankly I didn’t want to come back into Victory Lane and stop, I wanted to keep going just to enjoy the moment. So that’s why I did that. It was actually very well received.”

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