Alonso 0.6s clear of the field in first official Le Mans test; Button struggles; 24-hour race takes place on June 16-17
Tuesday 11 December 2018 11:45, UK
Fernando Alonso made the perfect start in his preparations for his Le Mans 24 Hours debut by topping the timesheets in the first official test.
The two-time Formula 1 world champion, competing in the iconic race for the first time this year as he bids for a career 'Triple Crown' - which also includes the Indy 500 and Monaco GP - was fastest in both sessions on Sunday for Toyota.
Alonso finished with a best time of 3:19.066 and was six tenths of a second quicker than the Rebellion Racing car with Kamui Kobayashi, a former F1 driver himself, third in the other Toyota.
Alonso was in the No 8 Toyota, which he and team-mates Kazuki Nakajima and Sebastien Buemi will drive at the prestigious event on June 16-17.
"It was a lot of fun out there - the track is beautiful and fits perfectly with the LMP1s," said the Spaniard.
"It was enjoyable for me and we got the info we needed from the test."
Jenson Button, Alonso's former McLaren team-mate, will also be a Le Mans rookie this year but was limited to just 20 laps in the test as his SMP Racing car was plagued by reliability issues.
Practice and qualifying for the race take place on June 13, with Alonso set to report back to the French circuit after taking on the Canadian GP with McLaren this weekend. A historic F1 triple header follows the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Alonso, who has already cast doubt on his future in F1, has already tasted victory with Toyota in 2018, winning the opening race of the World Endurance Championship season at Spa-Francorchamps.
