24h Le Mans
The announcement of Fernando Alonso's participation in the 101st edition of the Indianapolis 500 next month took everyone in motorsports by surprise, but the reason makes sense for this competitor at heart: to match the feat of Graham Hill, the only driver to win the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco, the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Paradoxically, Fernando Alonso (two-time F1 World Champion in 2005 and 2006) will not take the start at Monaco this year since the legendary race in the U.S. will take place the same day as the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco, but no matter for the Spaniard since he has already won the race twice in 2006 and 2007. Plus he can hardly aim for victory this year given the current performance level of his McLaren powered by Honda.
It was also with a McLaren powered by Honda entered by the Andretti outfit, led by the son of Mario Andretti whose best result at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in eight participations, remains the second place overall clinched in 1995, behind...McLaren, with Fernando Alonso at the start of the Indianapolis 500 this coming May 28th.
Challenge accepted for the Spanish driver who will take the wheel of an IndyCar for the first time after the F1 Grand Prix of Spain, but at 35 years old it's now or never for Fernando Alonso. He could draw inspiration from Alexander Rossi who competed in the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans in LM P2 and who won the Indy 500 last year for his first participation, to everyone's astonishment.
Same result at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015 for Nico Hülkenberg, current Renault driver in F1, which drew the attention of his colleagues in the head single-seaters discipline. As a successful F1 driver, Fernando Alonso gave the start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014.
Fernando Alonso, at the press conference with McLaren owner Zak Brown: "I’ve won the Monaco Grand Prix twice, and it’s one of my ambitions to win the Triple Crown (Monaco, Indianapolis, Le Mans, Ed.), which has been achieved by only one driver in the history of motorsport: Graham Hill. It’s a tough challenge, but I’m up for it. I don’t know when I’m going to race at Le Mans, but one day I intend to. I’m only 35, I’ve got plenty of time for that."
And endurance racing fans are already dreaming of seeing Fernando Alonso on the starting grid at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a McLaren. But to make the dream a reality, there is a lot that needs to happen…
Photo: Never having been at the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Fernando Alonso gave the start in 2014.
