Toyota confirms Fernando Alonso for the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Two days after completing his first 24-hour race in Daytona, Fernando Alonso officially announced that he would participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Toyota.

It had been anticipated for several months, especially when the Spaniard held a first official test session at the end of the season on the Bahrain circuit. The rumor gained even more momentum last week when one of his personal sponsors mentioned the upcoming confirmation of the information.

If this will be his first participation in the world’s most famous endurance race, Fernando Alonso already made the trip to Sarthe in 2014 when he started the race as a Ferrari driver. There can be only one objective, that of imitating Nico Hülkenberg, who won the event on his one and only participation, driving a Porsche in 2015.

Last year, he was forced to give up the Monaco Grand Prix to participate in the Indianapolis 500, but he won’t have to make such a sacrifice this season since there is no conflict between the F1 calendar and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Fernando Alonso embarks on a dual program as he will compete in all the races where there are no conflicts between the two categories. He will only have to miss one event, the Fuji one, as the Austin Grand Prix is held on the same weekend: « This year, I have the opportunity to race for victory at Le Mans thanks to McLaren. It’s a great challenge, many things can go wrong, but I’m ready, prepared, and eager to be in the fight. My agreement to race in WEC is only made possible by the understanding and good relations I have with McLaren. I am very happy that they have heard and understood what it means to me. »

Toyota has therefore revised its lineup of drivers for car No. 8, where Fernando Alonso will replace Anthony Davidson, who becomes a reserve and development driver. He will be teaming up with Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima. Akio Toyoda, the president of the manufacturer, welcomed the arrival of a double world champion to their ranks: “I would like to thank Fernando Alonso for choosing Toyota as a partner to make his dream of Le Mans come true. I am extremely pleased that Fernando, who has fought in many races and has seen things no one else in our team has ever experienced, will be driving for Toyota Gazoo Racing.”

The arrival of such a headliner is also great news for the WEC championship, which has suffered from the departure of Volkswagen Group brands, Audi and Porsche, following the Dieselgate scandal. Therefore, Toyota finds itself as the sole manufacturer engaged, but the technical regulations have been revised to give private teams, such as Manor and Rebellion, a chance to win.

With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr