Fernando Alonso: “It’s a short break”

The news fell this Wednesday morning, on the sidelines of the 6 Hours of Spa, the penultimate round of the WEC 2018-2019: Fernando Alonso will not compete in the next Super-Season of the World ChampionshipEndurance with the Toyota Gazoo Racing, replaced by Brendon Hartley.

It is very logical that the double world champion F1 returned to the Belgian paddock with this announcement. “There are different challenges in the near future, which can be interesting for me, not only with Toyota Gazoo Racing, but also outside the WEC, comments the Spaniard.

And committing to a full season until June 2020 could have prevented certain opportunities. So I made the decision to stop this program in the short term. But in the medium or long term, I will 100% come back to do the WEC. This is a series that I really enjoy.

I like this type of racing, the unpredictability, the traffic, the team spirit and sharing the car… It's a short break. But I couldn't commit to such a program for next year.

If I come back, it would be in an LM P1 type car, regardless of the regulations. If I race at Le Mans, I want to race for the overall victory, not for a category victory. »

Still involved in McLaren as a new ambassador, we know the Woking resident is attentive to the evolution of the British team in F1. Alonso recently returned to the wheel of the MCL34 in testing after the Bahrain Grand Prix, and has not closed any doors for his future.

“For 2020 it can be many things, says Alonso. I remain open. When I stopped F1 last year, I felt like I was at the best time of my career. I have never been so fast and so prepared as I am right now.

It could be F1,IndyCar …different series apart from that. I remain free for the second part of this season, so I will have the opportunity to study opportunities. Maybe I won't do anything.

We have to wait and see what happens in the coming months, and being free puts me in the best position to deal with this situation. I have two or three ideas in mind, you will see in the coming months. »

The world title more than the 24 Hours

On the Endurance scene, Fernando Alonso will be able to aim for the WEC world title at the end of the 2018-2019 campaign. For this, a good result in Belgium would place the Spaniard in a favorable position before the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where the allocation of points will be more substantial than in a classic round.

The Toyota driver specifies, however, that he is aiming more for the world crown than a second victory in Sarthe. “Winning Le Mans will be incredible if it happens, but if I have to choose, I prefer the title because I have already won Le Mans. I prefer that to winning Le Mans twice and losing the title. »

The Triple Crown challenge

Before thinking about 2020, Fernando Alonso will turn his attention to the Indianapolis 6 at the end of the 500 Hours of Spa. The attraction of the Triple Crown remains strong for the Iberian driver, but this season's commitment to the American oval will be a challenge that seems much more important than for his debut in 2017.

In question, an almost return to zero with the McLaren – Carlin association, after having evolved with the support of the experienced Andretti team two years ago. “At Andretti, we focused only on driving, accumulating laps, and gaining experience on my side, recalls the former pilot Ferrari.

However, I remain confident and satisfied with the preparation. I don't know if this Indy 500 will be more difficult. It’s a race where you have to be in the right place at the right time. There are multiple strategies, which may or may not suit you depending on the yellow flags, the safety cars, etc.

It’s a race that chooses you to win, more than a race of pure performance. Things get so unpredictable in the last 20 laps. Our goal is to be fast in the race, but you have to be lucky. »