Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso have discussed competing in the 24hrs of LeMans together. Verstappen has revealed some of the details of these talks, including how a potential third driver will be selected.
The World Endurance Championship is growing in popularity, with 2024 set to be an all-time season for the category. Former F1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi was among those to secure Ferrari’s first victory at LeMans for several decades.
Amidst the enthusiasm for this feat, the possibility of other F1 drivers racing LeMans has become increasingly prevalent.
Several drivers expressed enthusiasm for the 24-hour race earlier this year, though their actual commitment to racing in the event is unclear.
Only two drivers on the current F1 grid have competed in the event. The first was Nico Hulkenberg, who took an unlikely victory in the category around a decade ago. The second is Fernando Alonso, who claimed two victories in his legendary event.
In the past, the Spaniard has floated the idea of racing in LeMans again. Max Verstappen is one of the drivers who could potentially collaborate with the Double World Champion.
In the “Honda Racing Thanks Day” event for 2023, Verstappen revealed that he’s already discussed entering LeMans:
“I’ve been speaking to Fernando about it. He’s said he would only want to do it again with me.
“So I said it would be really cool. The only thing is that for LeMans, it is the weight of the driver.
“I’m quite a heavy driver, so I’d need to find light teammates to compensate. Fernando is quite light, so it would be quite good.
“I just need to find another one, so I need to have a look.”
Evidently, the involvement of Fernando Alonso or Max Verstappen in the 24 hours of LeMans would be massive for the series.
With social media far more widespread than when Alonso competed in 2018, any F1 driver who competes in other racing categories will face new levels of scrutiny.
Although scheduling will complicate efforts for F1 drivers to compete in WEC, there is still a chance for more crossover between different racing series.
