The real reason Alonso is doing Daytona
Fernando Alonso's love of racing and desire to drive anything competitive has led him to the Daytona 24 Hours. Really? No. He's doing it with an ulterior motive - and with just reason
It was sometimes difficult to believe we were watching a rookie in action. Fernando Alonso's performance at the Indianapolis 500 in May belied his lack of experience not just of the Brickyard, but of oval racing full stop.
But even the double Formula 1 world champion has admitted that he could have been better prepared for the big challenge. That's why Alonso will be on the grid for the Daytona 24 Hours in January at the wheel of an LMP2 prototype.
Share Or Save This Story
Gary Watkins has, for reasons best known to himself, devoted all his working life to covering sportscar racing. This season is his 33rd as a motorsport journalist, during which time he has reported on major long-distance events on four continents and approaching 80 24-hour races. He reckons a degree in political philosophy makes him well qualified for covering the sometimes Machiavellian world of international sportscars.
Gary, who also writes for Motor Sport, Autocourse, RACER and others, lives in Surbiton close to the former workshops of the Cooper Formula 1 team but spends more time on the road than at home for most of the year.
More from Gary Watkins
New Time Attack competition for 1990s F1 cars launched by AGS successor
WEC Imola: Ye fastest to lead Ferrari 1-2 in practice
Peugeot surprised by severity of WEC Balance of Performance hit
Jota's first Le Mans car to return to competition
Why Porsche doesn't expect another WEC domination at Imola
Ferrari, Toyota receive biggest BoP breaks for WEC's Imola round
Gounon replaces Habsburg for Alpine Hypercar debut at Imola's WEC round
Why Peugeot had no choice but to revamp its radical Le Mans Hypercar
Latest news
WEC Imola: Ferrari remains on top in FP2 as Fuoco beats Porsche
WRC Croatia: Neuville, Evans tied for the lead after eight stages
WIN! A VIP Race Weekend Experience in Monaco
Lauda's 1976 German GP helmet to be auctioned at F1 Miami GP
Autosport Plus
How canny Porsche strategy snatched Daytona spoils from Cadillac
How a battle of two US titans will grip IMSA in 2024
How IMSA's GTP revival proved worthy of its name
How Porsche's Daytona hiccups evoked the premiere of its Group C king
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.