Alonso set for Rolex 24 return with Wayne Taylor Racing

Fernando Alonso is set to return to the Rolex 24 at Daytona next January to fight for overall victory with Wayne Taylor Racing.

Two-time Formula 1 world champion Alonso made his debut at Daytona in January with United Autosports, the team owned by his McLaren boss, Zak Brown, in a Ligier LMP2 car.

Racing alongside Lando Norris and Phil Hanson, Alonso finished 38th overall after reliability issues dropped the team out of contention for a strong finish in the closing hours of the race.

Alonso is now set to return to the 24-hour race in January in a deal with Wayne Taylor Racing, which will see him enter in a Cadillac DPi car that is likely to contend for overall victory.

Alonso is expected to race alongside Jordan Taylor and Renger van der Zande in the #10 Cadillac DPi-V.R., with Sportscar365 reporting that ex-Toyota, Sauber and Caterham F1 driver Kamui Kobayashi will complete the quartet of drivers.

It would mark Alonso’s third 24-hour race following this year’s Daytona race and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, where he took victory for Toyota.

Alonso is yet to confirm any further plans for his racing activities in 2019 after making his final F1 appearance in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. He is currently scheduled to take part in three FIA World Endurance Championship races next year, plus the Indianapolis 500.

McLaren Racing CEO Brown is understood to have played a role in securing Alonso’s deal for the Rolex 24, but stressed in Abu Dhabi his focus was on McLaren’s racing interests for 2019.

“Fernando’s a good friend of McLaren obviously and of myself,” Brown said.

“My focus is McLaren. My focus is what Fernando can do with McLaren. But he asked me questions as do other drivers when they have interest in forms of racing and they have a lot of friends in the sport.

“So I give him my advice if he asks for it, make introductions for him if he asks for it, but nothing that I’m actively doing. He has his own manager.”

Wayne Taylor Racing has won the Rolex 24 at Daytona twice, most recently in 2017 with Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor, Max Angelelli and Jeff Gordon.