This coming weekend, Fernando Alonso will take the start at the first round of the 2018-2019 Super Season of the World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) at Spa-Francorchamps. He has been impatiently awaiting the moment. "I love to race, I like the competition, I couldn't pass up this opportunity. I'm happy to have the chance to do the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I've wanted to do this for a long while. Took take part in the Super Season is great because I will be able to go after the title and not just the win at Le Mans."

The Spaniard will participate in the race at the wheel of a Toyota TS050 Hybrid LMP1 he first drove this past winter. "I've already done three testing sessions with Toyota. I have spent hours in the car, racking up laps and kilometers. Every time I get in the car, it feels better and better. There are quite a few differences with an F1, like how you take on corners for example. In Formula 1, when you go into a turn, you have to do so as fast as possible to gain time. With the LMP1, gaining time is different because you have to take into account managing the charging of the batteries."

In order to get his bearings in endurance racing, Fernando Alonso competed at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January at the wheel of one of American team United Autosports' Ligier JS P217 LMP2 prototypes. "It helped me a great deal, it's true, despite the fact driving an LMP2 is different from an LMP1, especially with the hybrid system. Certainly strategy, sleep, focus, traffic management, stints, driver changes, personal energy management...on all those points...it was very helpful to me for Le Mans! Testing sessions are one thing, the race itself is another. So it was necessary and crucial for me to compete at the Rolex 24 at Daytona." 

In a little more than a month, the two-time F1 World Champion will take the start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a race he has wanted to add his track record for quite some time, particularly after he gave the start back in 2014. "I intend to try and win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it's my #1 goal. It's truly a fantastic event and I can't wait until June. I'm sure it will be something special for me. I'm proud to be able to do it, it's definitely a privilege. I did karting when I started out with the goal of one day participating in this type of legendary race. You can't lose sight of the fact the race chooses its winner and not the other way around. Of course I love to win, but all the elements have to be copacetic. It's a 24-hour battle, you have to push the car to its limits, you need luck and to manage traffic effectively. A lot of things have to go well in order to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans."

Alonso is also juggling two championships simultaneously, the FIA WEC and the F1 World Championship. "I'm trying to optimize everything. My level of preparation is even more substantial than usual. In fact, I drove this winter to stay in shape. Now I have to participate in both championships at the same time with the travel that entails. I'm training constantly, but not too much so that I'm not exhausted at meetings. I try to eat the same things all the time, not to vary my nutrition or try any new dishes. Meanwhile, the most important factor is rest. I know myself well, I know my body."

When asked what the other F1 drivers think of his involvement in endurance, he responded: "So far, they haven't asked me too many questions, but I bet as Le Mans gets closer, it'll be a different story." A former Formula 1 driver - and even F1 World Champion (2009) - will also participate in the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans, Jenson Button (SMP Racing). "It's a good thing that Jenson is coming to endurance. I know him well, we were teammates for several years (McLaren-Honda F1 Team in 2015 and 2016, Ed.) and I competed against him for 16 years. Early on, he did not want to try something new when he was in F1. It was a wonderful surprise when he joined Super GT (the Japanese GT championship, Ed.) and I'm even more shocked he wants to do Le Mans. I'm thrilled, he's a very good driver, with a great deal of talent. It's good news for everyone! I know he'll enjoy the 24 Hours of Le Mans, especially at the wheel of these prototypes that are so fun to drive."

Special thanks to Bruno Palmet/Le Maine Libre.

PHOTOS (Copyright - MPS Agency)