Alonso targets WEC title and Triple Crown

Fernando Alonso feels winning the Le Mans 24 Hours can be his platform to target the World Endurance Championship title and his dream of becoming “a more complete driver” by securing the Triple Crown with victory at the Indianapolis 500.

Alonso helped Toyota clinch its maiden Le Mans 24 Hours victory in the #8 car with co-driver Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima by producing a starring role including an overnight stint which reigned in the sister #7 car’s two-minute lead to set up its victory charge.

The Spaniard, who handed over to Nakajima for the final stint of the race, admitted he struggled to watch the final hour because he didn't feel in control as a spectator from the Toyota garage.

“I am not used to watching my car, I am normally in it,” Alonso said. “It was quite a tense 24 hours with two cars within one minute more or less for the whole race. Right now I am just trying to enjoy every single second of this moment. Tomorrow will be time to relax.

“I didn’t know if watching it on television or sleeping was better or even watching MotoGP at that time. Maybe watching MotoGP was the best idea. It was quite intense but the winning feel is amazing and the adrenaline that you have now, the experience and the emotions are much bigger than any feelings of tiredness or stressful feelings.”

Following his Le Mans triumph Alonso has now secured two parts of the Triple Crown of motorsport but reaffirmed his plans to see out the full 2018-19 World Endurance Championship Super Season with Toyota.

The Spanish driver says he will continue to target becoming a world champion in the endurance series as well as becoming just the second driver in history to secure the Triple Crown after Graham Hill.

“To become World Endurance Champion has not been a secret that it was one of the targets when I joined the Super Season,” he said. “I didn’t join just for the Le Mans experience, I joined the Super Season because I want to fight for the world championship. Let’s see if we can achieve that as we’ve had a good start to the season so far.

“Indycar is one of the legs of the Triple Crown and I attempted it last year with that intention [to win]. We were leading the race and close to winning but we missed the opportunity.

“Here we were leading the race and I was worried about missing the opportunity again but here we achieved it. It is definitely a very attractive target to try for the Triple Crown and see if I can be a better driver, a more complete driver.

“To be a better driver, a more complete driver, you need to win in every series against the specialists of those series. To beat the specialists in oval racing or here in endurance, the guys that know every little trick here, so to be able to come here and be at that level is great. It makes it is a very attractive target.”

Alonso’s future in Formula 1 remains uncertain with reports linking the two-time world champion to a full-time IndyCar switch for next season.