Bad news folks… for the second time in eight weeks, there isn’t a grand prix this weekend. It’s devastating, we know. Will Joseph is currently curled up in the foetal position, rocking back and forth in the corner of one of the race bays at the MTC and just says ‘scenario seven’ repeatedly. Meanwhile, fellow race engineer Tom Stallard isn’t faring much better: attempting to take his mind off the gravity of the situation by trying to get a 1:43-scale replica of the MCL35 from one end of the boulevard to the other.

Mercifully, the motorsport gods have answered our prayers and blessed us with one of the biggest and best races of the year to fill the void this weekend, the iconic Indianapolis 500.

So cancel that date with those inflatable dolls that you’ve stuck the Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris face masks from the #WeRaceAsOne fan bundle to, and buckle up as Arrow McLaren SP drivers Fernando Alonso, Oliver Askew and Pato O’Ward bid to make history at the Brickyard.

These are our five simple steps to get absolutely pumped for this weekend…

1) Step into the world of Arrow McLaren SP

In case you haven’t been watching this series of eye-opening, behind-the-scenes videos the team keeps dropping, you need to check out AMSP Unlocked. In fact, even if you have already seen them, we suggest you watch them all over again. It’s just like McLaren Unboxed, but with a lot more Pato and a little less Lando. And it will make you feel like you’re getting this close to Fernando Alonso, even though you’re sat in your underpants, munching a bowl of a corn flakes – if you’re actually sat in your underpants, munching a bowl of a corn flakes, then please scroll to step four, immediately!

2) Turn the volume up to 11

No, we don’t mean for the entire race. Although, you are welcome to do that – albeit at the risk of hearing loss and some seriously disgruntled neighbours. Instead, we mean when you get precisely 33 seconds into this video. Having won the Indy 500, not once, not twice, but three times, the extraordinary M16 is one of the most successful designs in the history of the famous race. This car holds a very special place in the hearts of people all over the world, but arguably none more so than McLaren INDYCAR stalwart Johnny Rutherford, one of America’s great motorsport heroes, who drove it to two of its famous Indy 500 wins. So crank the volume up and savour five seconds of sonic perfection. And then play it over, and over, and over again… Now, that’s what we call music.

3) Join the party

So, you know that epic virtual fan festival we hosted for the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix? The one that had fans putting tents up in their living rooms? The one that people couldn’t stop raving about – quite literally at some points thanks to legendary DJ acts Carl Cox and Stanton Warriors? Well, we thought we’d give HomeFest an Arrow McLaren SP twist, so you can have the ultimate Indy 500 experience from the comfort of your own home.

That’s right, we’re bringing out the papaya bunting again! We’ve also got hold of some new lip-smacking recipes – turns out Brundle’s Bangers were just the entrée before Gil de ‘King of the Grill’ Ferran’s Quesadillas, lined up more mega fan drops, and giving you the chance to speak directly with drivers Fernando, Oliver and Pato in the garage. Oh, and there’s much, much more.

4) Get some new threads

Of course, for any party you want to look the part. And just because you may be watching the race at home this year, doesn’t mean you should let all semblance of style slip away. Instead, the Indy 500 is the perfect excuse to tune up your wardrobe to make sure you’re dressed to the nines, or should that be to the five hundreds…? Anyway, the point is, it’s time to you paid a visit to the McLaren Store to get kitted out with our INDYCAR team cap and t-shirts, so you can be safe in knowledge that you’re one of the best-dressed people in the room.

5) Take a moment to reflect

Now, at first, this final step is going to sound a little counterintuitive to getting ‘pumped’ – but bear with us. There’s method to the madness. This step doesn’t really require you to do anything, just take your foot off the pedal for a moment and…

Stop.

It’s time to sit back and reflect.

With Fernando set to move to pastures new next year, which will preclude him from competing in the Indy 500 any time soon after this weekend, the 104th running of this illustrious race could well be his last chance to win the coveted Triple Crown of Motorsport. Despite all the greats who have gone before and come close: Tazio Nuvolari, Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi, to name but a few, and not forgetting our founder Bruce McLaren; only one man has ever achieved this monumental feat, the remarkable Graham Hill, and that was 48 years ago.

Having already bagged the Monaco Grand Prix and 24 Hours of Le Mans, Fernando is on the brink of laying hands on the missing piece of the puzzle and joining Hill in one of motorsport’s most exclusive clubs. To say Fernando’s career has been a rollercoaster ride would be putting it mildly, with its heroic highs and remarkable comebacks. Could he, finally, at the third time of asking, achieve the nigh-on impossible with victory at the Indy 500? It would be one hell of a story if he did, and you would be mad to miss it on Sunday.

Watch the 104th Indianapolis 500 LIVE on Sky Sports F1 at 19:30 BST, or NBC at 14:30 EST.

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