It was sometimes difficult to believe we were watching a rookie in action. Fernando Alonso's performance at the Indianapolis 500 in May belied his lack of experience not just of the Brickyard, but of oval racing full stop.
But even the double Formula 1 world champion has admitted that he could have been better prepared for the big challenge. That's why Alonso will be on the grid for the Daytona 24 Hours in January at the wheel of an LMP2 prototype.
There wasn't anything approaching a masterplan when Alonso set out on his quest to win the unofficial triple crown of motorsport by adding wins in the Indy 500 and Le Mans 24 Hours to his twin Monaco Grand Prix victories.