Motorsports fans have a difficult challenge this weekend: to sleep or not to sleep. Formula 1 takes place in Azerbaijan, a modern classic track that in less than a decade has become an essential event on the calendar, but this Saturday from 4:00 p.m. and until the next day at the same exact time the mother of all races will be taking place: the 24 hours of Le Mans.
Among those who will keep an eye on what happens at the La Sarthe track there is Fernando Alonso, whose aspirations for Baku are high after the great impressions from Friday practice. The Alpine driver showed a great race pace during the first day of work on the streets of the Baku circuit, and he can’t afford a bad result now that his future is up in the air. A good result can silence his critics, while a bad one could lead to evem more doubts.
The Spanish driver is in love with the event that he won in 2018 and 2019 and has always said that his wish would be to return, something that can happen if the right circumstances arise.
At the gates of turning 41, for the first time in a long time, Fernando Alonso is not sure if he will continue in Formula 1. Not of his own free will (not at least 100%), the Spanish driver is thinking about what to do in 2023, with many voices in Alpine calling for him to make a decision soon to see what they do with Oscar Piastri, the talented test driver they have on the bench. Although the Aussie is in the middle of negotiations between Williams and Alpine (with Renault engines as a matter of negotiation and a driver’s seat as currency), it will all depend on what Alonso decides.
In that sense, he has alternatives… but not many. In Formula 1 there are not too many attractive seats, beyond the doubts that there may be in Aston Martin or the distant shot at Mercedes, depending on what Lewis Hamilton decides. The fact that he may no longer have a place in Formula 1 does not mean that Fernando Alonso is going to hang up his helmet, suit and gloves, since he still feels in top shape to continue competing, even if it is far from the championship that made him a legend.
That’s where the possibility of returning to Le Mans and with an old shield on his chest comes in.
The centenary of Le Mans and the unfinished business with Ferrari
Why would Fernando Alonso go back to Le Mans, if he already won it twice? The Endurance World Championship is experiencing a moment of total transformation. The change in regulations has led, among other things, to the return of brands such as Peugeot (which has not reached the 2022 edition of the 24 hours of Le Mans by very little), Cadillac, Porsche or, and here is the key, Ferrari.
The Scuderia already competed years ago in the top category with legendary cars, and its rivalry with Ford marked an era in the 60s that has been made into a film (Hollywood will have its share of the limelight at Le Mans this year thanks to Michael Fassbender) with big success. Now they undertake a return for 2023 when, in addition, the centenary of the race is celebrated. Next year’s edition, the 91st (it will not be the 100th because it was not disputed for several years due to World War II), promises to be historic and Ferrari did not want to miss it.
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Fernando Alonso is aware of this and Ferrari too. As reported by 20minutos.es, there have already been more or less informal conversations between members of the Scuderia and the representatives of the Spanish driver. Nothing serious, for the moment, a simple discussion… but it is already a first step.
The possible conjunction of stars in Le Mans 2023 could be one of those that make history. Even Tom Kristensen himself, the driver who has won the 24 hours the most times (9), is tempted. The Dane is part of the Eurosport expert team that broadcasts the 24 hours of Le Mans in full and exclusively, and although he has been retired for years, he still has the ‘itch’. This race is very special, at the height of the greatest events, whether sporting or not.
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