"It's absolute winners all round" that Fernando Alonso is to miss Monaco to race in the Indianapolis 500, says Sky Sports F1 pundit Pat Symonds.
Speaking on this week's F1 Report: Russia GP 2017 Review, the former Williams Chief Technical Officer said Alonso's American adventure was great news for the sport and for both McLaren and the Spaniard.
"I think it's fabulous that McLaren have taken the decision to allow Fernando to go and do it, I think it's fantastic that Fernando wants to do it, that's the old style racer, that just wants to drive things," he said.
Jenson Button will return to F1 to race in the Monaco GP as Alonso's stand-in, McLaren have confirmed. His McLaren contract allowed him to take 2017 off, but included the proviso that he could be drafted back in as cover if one of the team's race drivers was absent.
"I can only see positives out of it. Yeah so they miss Monaco, you might say is the blue-ribboned event in Formula 1, it gives Jenson a chance so you know, it's absolute winners all around."
Alonso is sitting out next month's F1 showpiece in Monaco to make his debut in the prestigious American oval race in a McLaren-branded Andretti Honda car. Having twice won F1's Monaco GP, Alonso is attempting to add the Indy 500 and the Le Mans 24 Hours to his roll of honour before he retires from racing - a feat only achieved by the late Graham Hill.
Sky F1's Marc Priestley, who joins host Natalie Pinkham on the F1 Report show, says he thinks Alonso's participation in the prestigious event is exactly what McLaren need.
"They will still be concentrating on getting everything right in Formula 1, they've got a very, very capable guy in Jenson," he said.
"What McLaren need or Honda and McLaren need to improve their situation is laps, more laps they get, the more data they get, the more time, they need time as well.
"It's not necessarily the fact that Fernando is missing this particular race, I don't think it's actually going to have a big impact on any of their development cycle, that's happening back in Japan, the more laps they get in the car the better so you said it's a distraction tactic, it's exactly what McLaren need right now, it has worked quite well."
Marc says it is something that most of the other drivers can only dream of.
"I think secretly, a lot of them wish they had the opportunity, don't you. I think it has got to be most drivers' dream to attend and take part in an event like that.
"Most of them will never be allowed, it's only the fact that McLaren are in this dire situation that this has ever come up because I don't think it would have happened under Ron Dennis, I don't think it would have necessarily have been allowed to happen under Bernie Ecclestone, it's a sign of modern Formula 1 and how marketing and PR is a major part of it and has to be taken quite seriously."
Alonso will drive on the Indianapolis oval during a test on May 3 following the Russian GP, with the Indy race taking place on May 28.
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