OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - MAY 08: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors walks off the court after injuring himself against the Houston Rockets during Game Five of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on May 08, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Former McLaren Formula One racer and two time Indianapolis 500 winner, Juan Pablo Montoya has already sent a text message to his former F1 rival, Fernando Alonso to see if he can be of any assistance when the Spaniard jumps the fence into his world for this year's Indy 500 next month.

“I texted him as soon as I heard, but I don't think he'll need a lot of help,” he told Motorsport.com earlier today, the Colombian racer admitting that in his opinion Alonso will be a strong competitor, despite the fact that it will be his first time racing on a Super Speedway.

The only real issue Montoya can see is that Alonso will need to learn how to race in traffic, because he will encounter quite a lot of that during the 500 lap event.

“Fernando is a hell of a racer; I could relate a lot to him and the way he raced when we used to compete together. He just needs to learn how an oval works and particularly the technique of following other cars. In setting up the car, I think he's going to do a good job. He will have a good feel. But the big thing in Indy is balancing what you need from the car when you run by yourself against what you need from the car when you run in traffic, sometimes a big group of cars. It's an interesting feeling.”

“You really want to have a little bit of understeer – that will be the biggest adjustment for him, because in Formula 1 you always want that perfect balance, and for the car to feel quite free in the high-speed corners. On an oval, you really don't want that… You want a little bit of understeer. But he will do fine. You know he's a very good, very experienced driver.”