LEEDS, Ala. – Two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso turned his first laps in an Indy car on a road course Wednesday during a test session at Barber Motorsports Park.

Alonso drove the green and blue car that Carlos Munoz wheeled in the 102nd Indianapolis 500 in May during his time at the 2.38-mile, 15-turn permanent road course near Birmingham.

It was the Spaniard’s first time in an Indy car on a track other than the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.

Notably, the car carried no manufacturer decals during the test, but Alonso did get the chance to sample the car in all weather conditions after rain fell during the morning session.

The track dried up for Alonso’s afternoon laps, enough for him to reportedly set unofficial times below that of Josef Newgarden’s pole-winning speed in April.

“Yeah, it was a good day, a fun day,” said Alonso of the test. “I love to test new cars and to test the IndyCar on a road course is something special. I’ve been lucky enough to test it in wet conditions, in intermediate conditions and in dry conditions, so overall I had a good feeling on every type of track.

“The weather was good for us today – a little bit of wind in the afternoon – but overall a positive day.”

Ryan Hunter-Reay’s crew oversaw Alonso’s car during the test on Wednesday. Other than his departure from Formula One, which was announced last month, Alonso gave no further guidance Wednesday afternoon as to where he’ll be racing in 2019.

“(This) was something that I was looking for last year already. I had some options to test the car on a road course after the Indy 500,” noted Alonso. “We didn’t find the time, but this year it’s definitely happened now and I’m happy for this. I love being behind a steering wheel, and definitely a new car, a new experience, learning a lot of things from the team, the engineers, everyone … so a happy day.”

Now that he’s had a chance to sample both the road course and oval configurations of Indy car racing, which did Alonso say he enjoyed better?

Actually, he didn’t. He was torn down the middle between the two.

“Probably my instinct will tell me road course, because it’s what I’ve been used to doing all my life, but the Indy 500 was an amazing experience, so (I’m) 50/50,” Alonso admitted. “I think I love the way the car feels on a road course, but I love the way you compete on ovals, with timing the tows, traffic and all the overtaking maneuvers I think are a little bit easier on the ovals.

“In terms of track action, I loved the Indy 500.”