FIA World Endurance Championship C꧑EO Gerard Neveu says it is an “immense pleasure” to welcome Formula 1 star Fernando Alonso to the series for the new season.

Toyota confirmed on Tuesday it had signed two-time Formula 1 world champion Alonso to its WEC line-up for the 2018/19 ‘super season’, ✱including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Alonso will combine his sports car racing duties with his F1 commitments for McLaren, which 𝓡gave him permission to enter the WEC as part ꧒of his goal to win Le Mans and further his bid to win the ‘triple crown of motorsport’.

WEC chief Neveu was delightedဣ to confirm the news of Alonso’s arrival, arguably the biggest the championship🔯 has enjoyed since that of Mark Webber following his retirement from F1 at the end of 2013.

“Welcoming Fernando Alonso for the entire 2018-2019 WEC Super Season is ꦇan immense pleasure and honour,” said Neveu.

“All our fans and the great Endurance racing family are looking forward to welco🎃ming Fernando. He is one of the greatest motorsport drivers of al🦹l time. His participation in the WEC with Toyota in LMP1 ensures a superb show.

“The pre🃏sence of such a champion confirms the influen♛ce and attractiveness of our discipline.”

ACO presid🔯ent Pierre Fillon echoed Neveu’s thoughts, saying: “We are proud to welcome Fernando Alonso among us in Endurance racing.

“The participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans but also in the FIA World Endurance Championship, ꦯfrom such a champion demonstrates the challenge that our event and our discipline represents for a driver.

“For several years now, Fernando had shown interest in our event and the FIA World End✱urance Championship. The conditions are now in place for this desire to come to fruition.

“Le Mans and Endurance racing will shine under the spotlight that Fernando’s presence brings, ju🍨st as our race and Endurance racing will also allow Fernando’s talent to shine.”