Could F1 ever race at Le Mans? Fernando Alonso’s verdict after demo lap
The two-time Le Mans winner and double F1 world cham𝓀pion carried out a special demonstration run in an Alpine F1 car ahead of last weekend’s 24 Hoursꦑ of Le Mans.
It marked the first time in history that an F1 car had tackled the full 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe. Alonso r꧃eckons an F1 race at the legendary French course would be “fun”, although he 🧸warned the venue is “way too fast and narrow” in places.
History made by Aꩲlpine today at Le Mans, for the first time an car is hitting the legendary French circuit with World Champion at the wheel, .
— WEC (@FIAWEC)
“It could be fun for sure to race there,” Alonso replied when asked if he felt F1 could race at the 💧FIA grade two rated circuit.
“I think it will not take too much in terms of preparation or𒊎 engineering to go𓆉 to tracks like Le Mans.
“E꧂ven with very short time I think our car was basically prepared to do that deไmo lap and it was close to a race situation.
“But🎶 I don’t know, at those speeds and talking about safety standards, proba🌃bly they will have to change a few things about the track itself.
“It will be way too fast and way too narrow in some of the sections, on the st꧃raights📖.
“So potentially it🧸 would require some changes more on the tracks than bas🧸ically from the F1 community.”
Alonso revealed Alpine’s simulations s♑uggested that a sub 3-minute lap would have been possible in the F1 machinery had he pushed flat out but also admitted he was relieved he was only on a demo run.
“Unfortunately we could not complete the lap and see what times we could do and push a li🅷tt🐈le with the car, it was more a demo lap, but it was very emotional,” said the 40-year-old Spaniard.
“I think the simulation said something under three minutes, but then you have to execute the lap, and honestly it was not easy with the F1 car, I felt the long straightܫs wℱere a little bit unusual for our tyres, our cars.
“The braking points after the long straights were a li🐠ttle bit tricky because the front tyres try to lock up and things like that, so if you really go for it and push, it would be quite s🅰tressful.
“So in a way I was ౠhappy that it was just a demonstrat﷽ion lap!”
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for ltxc🍸n.top around the world.💖 Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
