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Alonso to add 'many more' events to 2019 diary

Published on 15 Nov 2018 11:58
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By: Harry Mattocks

Fernando Alonso has said that he will add "many more" events to his 2019 schedule, as the double world champion is preparing to walk away from Formula 1 at the end of the season.

So far, Alonso has competed in the 2017 Indianapolis 500, as well as the current season of the World Endurance Championship for Toyota. He has said that he is on a mission to win the "triple crown" of motorsport, which involves winning the Monaco Grand Prix, 24 Hours Le Mans and the Indy 500.

The latter is the final race Alonso needs to win, after the 101st running at the Brickyard ended prematurely for the Spaniard. It was recently announced that he would be competing next year in the 103rd running, but this time for McLaren, rather than joining partnering up with Andretti Autosport like last time.

Once the 2018/19 WEC season concludes next June, Alonso has no confirmed plans: “I will do many more, but you will know step-by-step. Aside of the WEC races, I think there are four tests with those, so if you add the three weekends of racing and four weeks of testing, that's already seven until June, plus the test of IndyCar and two weeks of the 500."

“If you see the calendar until June, maybe there are two or three weeks off, so even if it seems there are not too many races, there are a lot of preparations into those races and I'm looking forward to it, it's good to be back in Indy.”

When asked about Indy, he said: “There are all the practice sessions and the qualifyings and the small details you need to fine-tune on the setup of the car at those speeds." With 300,000 watching at the same place on the same day, it's something that has no comparison with any other race in motorsport."

“I witnessed that in 2017, so it's still on my mind, even this year when I was in Monaco, I finished the race and switched on my computer and watched the full 500, next year this opportunity comes again and I cannot wait to be in Indianapolis.”

F1 News Fernando Alonso McLaren

Replies (4)

Ram Samartha

Posts: 1,172
Too bad Alonso couldn't go out on a high with that lap record or something. Instead he goes out like a complaining prima donna. Wish him all the luck in his pursuit to become the "greatest racing driver of all time." Maybe, if he comes back to F1 and wins another title after winning a few titles in other categories.
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- Nov 15 2018 - 18:27
Ram Samartha

Posts: 1,172
McLaren and Honda teaming up again for Indycar? Hmmm....
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- Nov 15 2018 - 18:30
- calle.itw
  
  Posts: 8,527
  Im not sure that will be though. It could happen, but I think its more likely that McLaren will want to grab a Chevy deal to save face.
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  Nov 16 2018 - 16:19
sadosalo

Posts: 198
he will not come back to F1 so hard to succeed in another car than the boring Mercedes procession, yeah you need a little help from a friend in F1. Good luck Fernando in Indy 500.
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- Nov 16 2018 - 04:59