Max Verstappen revealed that he has already talked with Fernando Alonso about a possible partnership in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Red Bull Racing driver, however, made it clear that he only intends to participate if there is a real chance to fight for the victory.
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Asked by BBC Sport about the possibility of sharing the car with Alonso, Verstappen confirmed that the subject has already been discussed. The Spaniard’s experience in the traditional endurance race appears as one of the main attractions for a potential partnership, but the calendar would also need to allow the project.
“We have already talked about it. Look at Fernando. He is 45 years old and still flying. Especially for Le Mans, with his experience, it could be a good option. It needs to fit into our calendars. It needs to make sense. It needs to be on my terms. And there needs to be a real chance for us to go there and win,” Verstappen said.
Alonso won Le Mans in 2018 and 2019 for Toyota, teaming up with Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima. During this campaign, the Spaniard also won the World Endurance Championship, being pointed out in the source as the only driver to have won both the Formula 1 World Championship and the WEC.
Verstappen also stated that he intends to compete in the main endurance races in the future, including the Hypercar category. Despite this, the four-time world champion emphasized that he does not want to rush this process, making it clear that participation will need to happen at the right time.
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Verstappen’s connection with endurance became evident when he chose the 24 Hours of Nurburgring as the race he enjoyed most in 2026, leaving aside the F1 GPs. In May, he competed for the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing alongside Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon, and Dani Juncadella.
“Probably the race at Nordschleife-Nurburgring. It was very cool to be able to compete in an endurance race with my teammates, the guys who won with the car during the main season. We knew we would be very strong. We peaked at the right moment, but unfortunately the car retired. It was an incredible experience. And pure. Pure motorsport,” concluded the Dutch driver.
Verstappen had a strong first stint in the race, moving up from tenth position to take the lead in tricky conditions, with the track slippery due to drizzle. The team managed to open more than thirty seconds in front, but a problem with the driveshaft, about four hours from the end, ended the contest.
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