F1 world champion Max Verstappen has said Fernando Alonso is interested in working with him at the future 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Verstappen joined teammate Sergio Pérez, alphatauri riders Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda, two-time Indy 500 champion Takuma Sato, and a number of Moto GP riders, including Mark Marquez, at the annual Honda Day of Appreciation celebration in Motegi.
Verstappen answered questions from fans as Sato showed off his 2020 IndyCar 500 championship car, being asked if he would consider competing in the IndyCar Series in the future.
I love watching it," he said. "I have a lot of respect for their performances, but I don't think I'm going to be a part of it. ”
The Red Bull driver said he would consider driving or competing in the future, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Of course I would like to try a MotoGP car," Verstappen said. I love supergt. I tried one last year and it was very good. Super Formula cars, they're very good. It's the fastest cars outside of F1 and they look great. ”
But Le Mans, I definitely want to do that. I went there when my dad used to race at Le Mans. The atmosphere here is amazing - so many people, driving at night, sunrise. I think that's really cool. ”
When asked what his ideal team would look like, Verstappen said Aston Martin driver Alonso has twice won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Toyota and has expressed interest in competing with him in major endurance races.
I've been talking to Fernando about it," Verstappen said. "He said he just wanted to work with me again. So I said'That's really cool'。”
The only problem is that for Le Mans, there is no minimum weight limit for drivers. I'm a pretty heavy rider, so I need to find light teammates to make up for it. And Fernando is light, so it will be pretty good. But we need to find another one, so I need to take a look. ”
And MotoGP world champion Marquez joked: "I'm lighter than Alonso......”
Verstappen: "You're definitely a contender for that position. ”
Marquez: "But I'm not ready yet. ”