Alonso: Le Mans result won’t impact F1 future

Fernando Alonso is adamant his future in Formula 1 will not be swayed by the result he achieves at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The McLaren driver will follow up his F1 duties at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix with his debut appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as part of his World Endurance Championship campaign with Toyota.

Alonso will face direct competition from Toyota’s second LMP1 entry that he and teammates Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima beat at the WEC season-opener in Spa, before Alonso topped the timesheets during the official Le Mans test day last weekend.

Victory at the prestigious race would see Alonso tick off the second of three feats required to become just the second driver in history to win the unofficial triple crown of motorsport (Monaco Grand Prix, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indy 500). Though he insists the result he achieves will not determine his future amid McLaren’s growing interests in possible full-time entries to IndyCar and WEC.  

“Probably not,” he replied when asked if he could be persuaded to leave F1. “But obviously I didn’t think too much yet, because first I need to be at Le Mans next weekend and see how it goes.

“For the IndyCar, I know the team is looking at the options there, but it’s just a McLaren decision and a McLaren commitment because of the importance of North America, and the market and it’s a strategic decision so it’s not for me to be involved on that, we’ll see what happens.

“I’ve already signed [a new contract] last year and it’s a multi-year contract. I have many more years!”

Alonso has voiced his criticism of F1 recently and labelled the Monaco Grand Prix as one of the “most boring” races in the history of the sport. But the Spaniard, who heads into his 300th grand prix weekend in Canada, denied he is ready to quit.

“I’m not bored,” he explained. “I think it’s obviously the top series in motorsport. It’s where we all dream to come one day, when we are go-kart drivers etc… But it’s true that in the last years, specially with the turbo era, the things are so predictable.

“There are 21 races, and we all know in this table what is going to happen in the next 14 races. This is very sad for the sport. So it’s nothing against Formula 1, it’s nothing that I get tired or not. It’s just, I know that I will come here and I will fight from 7th to 12th.

“I will finish the season in Abu Dhabi fighting from 7th to 12th! It doesn’t matter your speed on that day, it doesn’t matter your luck in qualifying, it doesn’t matter how you set up the car or how things go into your way or against your way in that weekend.”