Alonso to race at Rolex 24 with United Autosports

Fernando Alonso will contest in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2018 with United Autosports. The race is a preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which Alonso has already stated his intention on winning. 

The race will be held on the 27th-28th of January, meaning there are no worries of a clash with F1. Earlier this year, the Spaniard skipped the Monaco Grand Prix to take part in the gruelling Indy 500 race. Alonso was in contention for the victory but was halted when his engine failed.

Alonso makes his sportscar debut with United Autosports, a team owned by McLaren executive director Zak Brown. The 37-year-old will share the car with McLaren junior Lando Norris and Briton Phil Hanson. Speaking in Austin, Alonso confirmed he is using the race to prepare for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"As I said many times, the Triple Crown is the main thing," Alonso said. "I know that the Indy 500 was a nice thing and I felt very competitive, but it was a big challenge that I took from zero, with no testing and no similar racing experience before the Indy 500 at any other oval.

"It was a big challenge. I was competitive and it felt good but if I want to prepare for Le Mans maybe there are other possibilities to prepare Le Mans a little bit better [than I did for] the Indy 500."