Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso could form an exciting partnership (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Max Verstappen has admitted that himself and Fernando Alonso “want to” compete together at the historic 24 Hours of Le Mans in the future.
The endurance race, a staple in the motorsport calendar, has been a magnet for big-name drivers in the past. And Alonso is no stranger to the Circuit de La Sarthe, boasting two victories from his time away from Formula 1 while competing in the World Endurance Championship.
Verstappen, who has yet to experience Le Mans, is keen on taking part eventually and has revealed in the past the possibility of joining forces with Alonso. Previously, he had also expressed interest in entering the race with his father, ex-F1 driver Jos, but it seems that prospect has faded.
Speaking to , the champion said that he and F1 rival Alonso would now have to find a thid driver. “It’s in the back of our minds, we know that we want to do it,” Verstappen insisted. “[Jos] is still very good at it, [but] he doesn’t want to. He just doesn’t want to do it anymore.”
He added: “It’s fine, let’s see what happens. A lot of things can happen. There are many great drivers that you can pick from. I have a lot of friends also who race, so it will be hard to pick one.”
In the past, Verstappen has admitted though that he’s looking for something specific in a potential driving partner for the Le Mans race. He said last year: The only thing is, for Le Mans, there’s no minimum weight for the driver. I’m quite a heavy competitor, so I would have to find light team-mates to compensate. Fernando is quite light so that would be very good for us, but we would need to find another one.”
Yet, any participation at Le Mans looks likely to be put on hold until his Formula 1 career concludes.
With a current commitment to until 2028, which Verstappen has admitted could be his final contract, his future racing plans remain undecided.
Other constructors, including Aston Martin, are keen to attract the four-time F1 champion away from . A spokesperson for the team recently rebuffed rumours of a £1billion offer. However, there’s no doubt that Lawrence Stroll, the billionaire owner of Aston Martin, would relish the chance to acquire the Dutch superstar.
When quizzed by Marca on the chance of becoming Alonso’s team-mate, the Dutchman replied: It’s very difficult to say what will happen. I’m very happy to have been able to race with Fernando… I always love coming to Spain. For me, it’s a country with a lot of memories, I enjoy it very much. Seeing Fernando and Carlos [Sainz] do well is fantastic.”
This article originally appeared on .