Alonso Toyota LMP1 Test Begins in Bahrain

[Paul Jeffrey]

Fernando Alonso has clocked his first laps in a modern day Prototype this morning in Bahrain, sharing driving duties with Toyota regular Sebastien Buemi.

Alonso made his Prototype sportscar debut today as he begins an evaluation routine ahead of a potential bid to contest the world famous Le Mans 24 Hour race with the German marque, the next stage towards achieving the Spaniard's long stated desire to complete the motorsport triple crown of Monaco Grand Prix, Indy 500 and Le Mans victories.

Alonso and Toyota will be joined on circuit by a total of 12 other WEC cars at this end of season Bahrain 'Rookie Test' , with both Toyota and outgoing LMP1 rivals Porsche fielding a mix of experienced and young drivers in what looks to be the final time to two rivals manufacturers share an official session in the WEC for the foreseeable future.

WEC Rookie Test Entry List HERE.

Alonso would log a total of 37 laps in the morning session to go slowest of all present LMP1 drivers, clocking a final time of 1:43.709 as he looked to acclimatise to his new environment and avoid time consuming mistakes, eventually ending the opening portion of the test some 1.6 seconds away from the ultimate pace of Toyota team mate Buemi.

Bahrain WEC Rookie Test morning times:

1. TOYOTA GAZOO RACING Toyota TS050 - Hybrid Sébastien BUEMI 1:42.183
2. TOYOTA GAZOO RACING Toyota TS050 - Hybrid Mike CONWAY 1:42.834
3. TOYOTA GAZOO RACING Toyota TS050 - Hybrid Thomas LAURENT 1:43.273 18
4. PORSCHE LMP TEAM Porsche 919 Hybrid Pietro FITTIPALDI 1:43.301
5. TOYOTA GAZOO RACING Toyota TS050 - Hybrid Fernando ALONSO 1:43.709
6. TDS RACING Oreca 07 - Gibson Konstantin TERESHCHENKO 1:48.902
7. SIGNATECH ALPINE MATMUT Alpine A470 - Gibson Nicolas LAPIERRE 1:48.905
8. SIGNATECH ALPINE MATMUT Alpine A470 - Gibson Gabriel AUBRY 1:49.573
9. VAILLANTE REBELLION Oreca 07 - Gibson Matevos ISAAKYAN 1:50.690
10. JACKIE CHAN DC RACING Oreca 07 - Gibson Rinus VAN KALMTHOUT 1:50.923
11. JACKIE CHAN DC RACING Oreca 07 - Gibson Garett GRIST 1:52.029
12. G-DRIVE RACING Oreca 07 - Gibson Mahaveer RAGHUNATHAN 1:52.564
13. JACKIE CHAN DC RACING Oreca 07 - Gibson Ho-Pin TUNG 1:55.781
14. PORSCHE GT TEAM Porsche 911 RSR Richard LIETZ 1:58.272
15. AF CORSE Ferrari 488 GTE Davide RIGON 1:58.630
16. AF CORSE Ferrari 488 GTE Alfonso CELIS Jr 2:00.168
17. CLEARWATER RACING Ferrari 488 GTE Ishikawa MOTOAKI 2:03.908
18. CLEARWATER RACING Ferrari 488 GTE Olivier BERETTA 2:04.429

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Excited by the prospect of Fernando Alonso in a LMP 1 prototype? Does the Spanish driver have a realistic chance to challenge for LM victory this year? Let us know in the comments section below

 

[formidable]

Alonso, you are the best

 

[Steve Bird]

Good luck smiler

 

[DND]

I hope the best for Alonzo and his success. It's exciting to see drivers in multi-disciplines that don't unnecessarily put them at risk that could jeopardize their primary focus.

 

[Andrew Harper]

Will be Interesting to see what he makes of it.

I know they are not as fast as an F1 car overall but technically they are just as advanced and their out of corner acceleration is phenomenal. They also have a bigger more torquey engine of course. I'm sure he'll have fun driving it.

Good luck to him. It's going to be a very busy year. If he enjoys it and does Silverstone as well (which he may) I can see the crowds being drawn in big time.

Can't look at a calendar though so there may be a date clash on that one.

Isn't it interesting? No smiles (or not many) when he's in the McLaren environment but again like Indy he's a Cheshire Cat when he's in that pit garage

 

[Terry Rock]

Always good to see a driver take on different disciplines.
I must admit I'm a bit surprised that he got the 'okay' at this stage, since Honda is still associated with McLaren.
Japanese car manufacturers are especially fiercely competitive.
Hope he does well.

 

[snyperal]

I wish him all the best! Great driver.

 

[Sean]

world famous Le Mans 24 Hour race with the German marque

Japanese? We are talking about Toyota right? I am aware they had their formula one outfit in Germany and am guessing this series now operates from there, but I'm sure they're still Japanese .

Hope Alonso does well, I'm sure he will.

 

[Andrew Harper]

Japanese? We are talking about Toyota right? I am aware they had their formula one outfit in Germany and am guessing this series now operates from there, but I'm sure they're still Japanese .

Hope Alonso does well, I'm sure he will.

Depends on how you look at it suppose. Yes the Japanese company sign the cheques so the speak but the team, factory and whole operation is based from Germany. Exactly where the F1 team was. I believe it's used for all the other motorsport projects in Europe as well.

 

[Andrew Harper]

http://www.racer.com/wec-le-mans/item/145849-alonso-lmp1-debut-headlines-bahrain-rookie-test

 

[Luan Garcia]

Wish him best of lucks. Very rare to see top drivers from F1 to try something out from there.

 

[rvieira]

Good Luck Alonso, you are the best !

 

[Andrew Harper]

Wish him best of lucks. Very rare to see top drivers from F1 to try something out from there.

I think a lot of the time it's politics and contracts. Whereas in days gone by drivers could chop and change into as many different categories as they liked. Nowadays you are limited by factory contracts and what they are allowed to do.

Such is the relationship Fernando has with the boss at McLaren he's now allowed to do this sort of thing. Which is great in a way.

The other comment on here though is spot on. What is interesting is the various makes he's allowed to join up with. I suppose McLaren is effectively a customer team now. So he isn't tied into association with the Honda brand.

I bet though that the ACO is breathing a slight sigh of relief. Ok. There will be a healthy grid of privateer LMP1's next year but with only one LMP-H factory team they were probably a little worried about attendance figures. Not any more I would imagine.

 

[Luan Garcia]

I think a lot of the time it's politics and contracts. Whereas in days gone by drivers could chop and change into as many different categories as they liked. Nowadays you are limited by factory contracts and what they are allowed to do.

Such is the relationship Fernando has with the boss at McLaren he's now allowed to do this sort of thing. Which is great in a way.

The other comment on here though is spot on. What is interesting is the various makes he's allowed to join up with. I suppose McLaren is effectively a customer team now. So he isn't tied into association with the Honda brand.

I bet though that the ACO is breathing a slight sigh of relief. Ok. There will be a healthy grid of privateer LMP1's next year but with only one LMP-H factory team they were probably a little worried about attendance figures. Not any more I would imagine.

Yes, I imagine that there are contractual problems in doing this, but sometimes people forget that the most important thing in a car race is the driver. Not the car, not the owner of the team and much less the owner of the category rights. Sometimes I think that f1 drivers are in lack of balls

 

[Janos]

S. Buemi, N. Lapierre- rookie?

 

[Ryan Soucy]

The balls of letting your Honda driver drive a Toyota!! I love Zak Brown. This is good for Alonso, makes him a happy camper. Happy Fred, fast Fred! Then its good for Macca.