McLaren-Honda has allowed Fernando Alonso to skip Formula One’s Monaco Grand Prix on May 20 to instead contest the Indy 500 in the US, after the Spaniard’s team finished a disappointing 14th in Melbourne and 16th in China as the openers to the 2017 season.

The move has reportedly been weeks in the making following discussions between Alonso, Honda, McLaren and Andretti Motorsport, the latter of which contests the Indy 500 with other drivers in conjunction with those F1-racing marques.

Andretti Autosport Indycar

“It’s a dream come true, the Indy 500, what a race to enter in the USA and hopefully win it or try to win it,” Alonso said on Twitter. “I’m sad to be missing the Monaco GP, my favourite race of the year, but I’m sure whoever steps in the car will do a great job.”

Fernando Alonso McLaren Honda

Grand Prix races in Bahrain, Russian and Spanish will round out the following three rounds of the 2017 Formula One season before Monaco, with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton notching up a race win each so far.