Alonso opens door to Le Mans return with Verstappen

Fernando Alonso has opened the door to a future return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, saying the idea would become especially attractive if he could share the car with Max Verstappen.

Speaking on stage at an Formula 1 fan event in Barcelona, Alonso made clear that endurance racing’s biggest prize still holds a pull for him even if it is not an immediate plan. Asked about ambitions beyond F1, he ruled out an IndyCar comeback for now and stopped short of saying a Hypercar program was firmly on his agenda.

“Indy? No, it’s not really on my mind right now. And Hypercar, I don’t know. It’s not something I have firmly in mind either,” Alonso said.

That uncertainty changed when the conversation turned specifically to Le Mans. Alonso described the race as “a really beautiful experience” and said a third attempt remains possible in the future. “Maybe one day I’ll do it again, especially if it’s with Verstappen,” he said.

The remark matters because Alonso is not speaking about an unknown challenge. He already won Le Mans in 2018 and 2019 with Toyota during his time in the World Endurance Championship, so any return would come with proven pedigree rather than curiosity alone. Pairing that experience with Verstappen, one of Formula 1’s defining talents, would instantly turn the idea into one of the most eye-catching crossover prospects in top-level motorsport.

Alonso also made clear that Le Mans is only one of the challenges still on his radar once his Formula 1 career eventually ends. He said Dakar remains a major ambition, not simply for the event itself but for what success there would represent across different disciplines.

“I’d like to do the Dakar, and I’d like to win the Dakar one day. The challenge itself is what appeals to me,” Alonso said. He added that the attraction lies in achieving something with very few precedents by winning in Formula 1, endurance racing and rallying.

Those comments underline a broader point about Alonso’s mindset. Even while he remains committed to Aston Martin in Formula 1, he is still framing his future around major sporting targets rather than retirement. He has said he does not intend to definitely hang up the helmet, and his latest remarks suggest Le Mans, particularly alongside Verstappen, remains one of the clearest possibilities when the next chapter comes.