Alonso to compete at 2018 Le Mans

Fernando Alonso will race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year after reaching an agreement between McLaren and Toyota Gazoo Racing. The Spaniard has set out his goal of accomplishing the Triple Crown of Motorsport, having already completed one part by winning the Monaco Grand Prix.

After an attempt at the Indy 500 in 2017, Alonso will try his hand at the world's most famous endurance race. He will also compete in the upcoming events of the World Endurance Championship, but insists that they will not be a distraction from his Formula 1 duties.

"I’ve never been shy about my aim of winning motorsport’s ‘Triple Crown’ – the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indy 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans," said Alonso. "We tried for Indy last year, came close, but just missed out. This year, I have the chance thanks to McLaren to race for the win at Le Mans. It is a big challenge – much can go wrong – but I am ready, prepared and looking forward to the fight.

"In no way will this challenge take away from my main target of Formula 1 with McLaren," added the 37-year-old. "In 2018, my aim is to be competitive at every Grand Prix, and I feel sure that we are closer to achieving that. My deal to race in WEC was only made possible through the good understanding and strong relationship I have with McLaren, and I’m very happy that they listened and understood what this means to me."

Alonso's WEC teammates will be former F1 drivers Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima. Last weekend, the double-world champion raced at the Daytona 24, which was preparation for a possible Le Mans entry. The 24-hour French race will take place on June 16-17.

McLaren's executive director Zak Brown said: "It’s no secret that Fernando has wanted to contest the Le Mans 24 Hours. And I think everybody within our organisation appreciates that a motivated, hungry and happy world-class driver such as Fernando is a formidable asset for any team in F1.

"Last year, we came to the joint decision to go racing with Fernando at the Indy 500 rather than at the Monaco Grand Prix," the American continued. "But we’ve always said that we would consider each opportunity on a case-by-case basis, and we both know that, in 2018, our core priority is success in Formula 1.

"Like Fernando, at McLaren we’re racers at heart, and our team is built on a brave heritage of competing and succeeding in different forms of the sport. Equally important is the confidence that nothing detracts from our number one goal of Formula 1. After proper evaluation, we are satisfied that this campaign does not do that, and that McLaren’s best interests prevail."

Fergal Walsh