Alonso opens door to Le Mans return — but only if Verstappen shares the car

Fernando Alonso has left the door open for a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, telling fans at an on-stage interview in Barcelona that the idea becomes particularly attractive if Max Verstappen were his co-driver. The two-time F1 champion, currently 18th in the 2026 drivers’ standings with Aston Martin, made the comments during a wide-ranging conversation with F1 at his home grand prix.

Alonso is no stranger to endurance racing. During a sabbatical from Formula 1, he won back-to-back at the Circuit de la Sarthe in 2018 and 2019 with Toyota, also claiming the World Endurance Championship in the process. A Le Mans return would form part of what he described as a broader appetite for new challenges.

“The 24 Hours of Le Mans was a really beautiful experience for me,” Alonso said. “Maybe one day I’ll do it again, especially if it’s with Verstappen.”

The 44-year-old also spoke about his ambitions beyond the F1 paddock, singling out the Dakar Rally as a target. “I’d like to do the Dakar, and I’d like to win the Dakar one day,” he said. “If you manage to win in Formula 1, endurance racing and rallying, that would also be something with very few precedents.”

Alonso ruled out a return to the IndyCar Series, which he has previously contested, saying it is “not really on my mind right now.”

The comments come at a difficult moment for Alonso and Aston Martin. After seven rounds of the 2026 season, he sits 18th in the drivers’ championship with a single point, while team-mate Lance Stroll is 22nd with none. The constructor sits 10th in the standings, ahead of only the newly joined Cadillac outfit, as the team continues to work through significant problems with its 2026 machinery.

Any Le Mans project involving Alonso and Verstappen would, for now, remain firmly in the realm of speculation — but the Spaniard’s willingness to name his preferred co-driver publicly suggests the idea is more than a passing thought.