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The inside story of Alonso’s Toyota mission

Fernando Alonso will combine his McLaren Formula 1 commitments with the 2018/19 World Endurance superseason - here's how it came about, and why it's driven by his passion for racing

Gary Watkins Mar 30, 2018, 11:27 AM

Could Fernando Alonso really have dropped out of Formula 1 to focus on his bid for the unofficial triple crown of motorsport? Yes he could, because he's admitted as much. Is he trying to secure a motorsport legacy that his present tally of two F1 world titles is unlikely to give him? He's definitely hinted at that one. But more than anything, the Spaniard's assault on the 2018-19 World Endurance Championship with Toyota has been fired by passion.

Alonso's passion for motorsport is something that's easy to overlook. It explains why he's never stopped karting on free weekends away from the F1 paddock. He also has a passion for the Le Mans 24 Hours, a race he'll get to contest twice courtesy of his deal with the Japanese manufacturer for the 2018/19 so-called superseason.

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Author Gary Watkins

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.