Even though Fernando Alonso didn’t win the 101st Indianapolis 500, he didn’t walk away empty handed.
The Spaniard was named the Sunoco Rookie of the Year on Monday, following his impressive performances, both in qualifying and during the race, according to Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
IMS’s decision to give the ROY honors to Alonso caught many off guard, as an engine failure kept him from seeing the checkered flag.
Voting for the award is based on four criteria, according to NBC Sports, all of which should be weighed equally. The drivers are judged on their skill, sportsmanship, accessibility and conduct during the month of the race as well as their finishing position.
In addition to the $50,000 for the ROY award, Alonso earned $305,805 of the $13,178,359 prize purse. His Andretti Autosport teammate Takuma Sato, who is the first Japanese driver to win the Indy 500, took home $2,458,129 of the pot.
Thumbnail photo via Thomas J. Russo/USA TODAY Sports Images
