Fernando Alonso has made some poor decisions and you have to hope this is not one of them.
There is a lot of romantic idealism being attached to Alonso's entry in the forthcoming Indy 500; memories of Jim Clark adding victory at the Brickyard to his F1 championship year in 1965; photos of victorious Indy McLarens from four decades ago.
The reality is that he has taken on a very tough challenge with obstacles that not even the Spaniard's undeniable talent will be able to overcome. Alonso may feel that anything is better than driving a McLaren-Honda MCL32 right now but, as his new boss Michael Andretti confirms, Fernando is going to be in the thick of it right from the start of his fast-tracked attack on one of motor sport's unique contests.