Alonso: 'We need to find more pace' ahead of Rolex 24

Fernando Alonso says United Autosports needs to “find more pace” ahead of the Rolex 24 at Daytona at the end of the month after finishing 12th in the pre-race test.

Two-time Formula 1 world champion Alonso will make his sports car racing debut at Daytona International Speedway later this month in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opener, acting as preparation for a possible entry to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Alonso hit the track for the first time at Daytona last weekend during the ‘Roar Before the 24’ test, winding up 12th-fastest as ex-F1 racer Felipe Nasr set the pace.

Despite taking plenty of positives out of his first experience, Alonso said the team needed to find more pace if it wanted to be competitive come the race.

“I think it was a positive weekend,” Alonso said. “Obviously it’s nice to have the first run in the car and experience the circuit for the first time. There are small things that you keep learning lap after lap.

“The sessions are quite short and you share the car with your teammates, so it’s not that the amount of laps are huge, but they are better than nothing.

“I feel more prepared now for the race for sure. It was a good weekend to work with the guys, with the team, with the teammates and enter in this mood of sharing everything and adapting and making compromises between all of us to be all-around happy.

“That was the main priority for the weekend and that’s what we achieved, and was a positive thing.

“There are still little changes going on, and it’s the same with the performance of the car. It’s early days, it’s only testing, but we need to find more pace and hopefully be more competitive when we come back in the race.”

Alonso will return to Daytona for further practice and qualifying on January 25.