Alonso a winner in world endurance racing debut

Toyota TS050 No.8 on its way to winning the Six Hours of Spa. Picture: Toyota Gazoo Racing

Toyota TS050 No.8 on its way to winning the Six Hours of Spa. Picture: Toyota Gazoo Racing

Published May 7, 2018

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Spa Francorchamps, Belgium - Double Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso returned to the top of the podium when he won his debut World Endurance Championship race with Toyota on Saturday.

The McLaren F1 driver, sharing his TS050 hybrid No.8 car with Japan's Kazuki Nakajima and Switzerland's Sebastien Buemi, led a Toyota 1-2 in the season-opening Six Hours of Spa. The victory, from pole, was Alonso's first in any motorsport championship since he won his home Spanish Grand Prix for Ferrari in 2013.

Alonso is competing in both the WEC and Formula One in 2018 in a bid to become only the second driver, after Britain's Graham Hill, to take the so-called 'Triple Crown of Motorsport'.

That involves the Formula One title, or Monaco Grand Prix which he has also won, the Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race and Indianapolis 500. Alonso will race Le Mans in both 2018 and 2019 with Toyota.

He entered the Indianapolis 500 in 2017, leading the race for a while before retiring.

Reuters

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