Max Verstappen has never hidden his love of GT racing or the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and now, between Formula 1 seasons, the Red Bull driver appears to be looking more seriously at a future in endurance racing, with one particularly enticing idea in mind: sharing a Hypercar with Fernando Alonso. The possibility is more than just a fantasy. Asked directly about racing at Le Mans alongside the two-time world champion, Verstappen was clear: “We’ve talked about it,” he said in an interview with the Dutch-language BBC. A short answer, but enough to fuel a project that, if it ever comes together, would have all the ingredients to become one of the most fascinating driver line-ups in recent endurance racing. The Triple Crown is quite a temptation: victory at the Monaco Grand Prix in Formula 1, the Indianapolis 500 and, of course, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Only Graham Hill has achieved it, while Alonso is one of 13 drivers to have won two of the three historic races. Verstappen has never hidden his admiration for the Spaniard, either. “Look at Fernando,” Max added. “He’s 45 and still very fast. For Le Mans, his experience could be a big advantage.”
The project, though, would have to meet some very specific conditions. Verstappen has no interest in racing at Le Mans simply to add another line to his CV: “For this project to happen, it has to fit around our schedules, it has to make sense, it has to be on my terms. And there has to be a realistic chance of winning.” There is no point without the competitiveness and ambition to win. His passion for endurance racing is nothing new. This summer, Verstappen took part in the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring, describing it as “an incredible experience” and “pure motorsport”. It was a first taste of a world he would like to tackle at the highest level sooner or later. Le Mans may not be the only target, either. Asked which races he would like to compete in in the future, Verstappen answered without hesitation: “All the endurance races. And, of course, sooner or later, the Hypercars.” There is no rush. He wants the right moment, and the right conditions.
Those conditions may already be beginning to line up. Verstappen has just renewed his contract with Red Bull until 2030 and would be unlikely to commit to a full-time official WEC programme before 2031. Alonso, meanwhile, could be free as early as 2029 and return to endurance racing with Aston Martin. That would leave time for the idea to grow into something more concrete, and perhaps, a few years later, for Verstappen to join him. A third driver would then be needed, as the current Le Mans format requires, but an Alonso-Verstappen pairing in an Aston Martin Hypercar is already enough to make the prospect hard to ignore.