Alonso Not Interested In NASCAR Switch, Confirms 2019 Daytona 24-Hour Entry

Fernando Alonso got his first taste of a stock car Monday when he swapped cars with NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.

He drove the seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion’s #48 machine while Johnson took the wheel of a McLaren MP4 13 Formula 1 car in what was a day of fun for both the drivers.

Alonso did a number of laps in the stock car and shaved off almost four seconds from Johnson’s installation lap in the #48 car. The Spaniard, who quit F1 after the final race of the 2018 season in Abu Dhabi, is seeking to experience life in other forms of motor racing.

The 37-year-old will continue to drive in the World Endurance Championships (WEC) in 2019 and has committed to another outing in the Indy 500 with McLaren in the hope of winning the Triple Crown. Alonso was asked if a possible switch to stock car racing was possible after his first outing in Bahrain.

The Spaniard was certain he would not do a full season in stock car racing as he is not tuned to that style of racing where pushing or making contact with another car is not frowned upon. However, he did not rule out the possibility of making a one-off appearance sometime in the future.

"I'm not thinking about it," Alonso said, as quoted on AutoWeek. "It would need a lot of commitment because I'm not so skilled in those aspects right now, and the schedule is very intense. It was a lot of fun, but I think most of the performance from these cars comes from experience. Maybe a single date someday is possible, but not the whole championship."

Alonso, meanwhile, has confirmed another addition to his 2019 race schedule; the addition of the Rolex 24 hours of Daytona, which takes place at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida on Jan. 26. The Spanish racer along with WEC teammate Kamui Kobayashi will join full-time drivers Renger van der Zande and Jordan Taylor in the WTR #10 Cadillac DPi-V.R for the 2019 race.

This is Alonso’s second race in Daytona with his first outing coming in January this year when he finished in 38th overall after his car suffered mechanical issues. Coincidentally, it was also the place where he first met NASCAR legend Johnson with whom he swapped cars Monday.

“I am very happy about joining the Konica Minolta Cadillac team and Wayne Taylor Racing to race together at the Rolex 24 At Daytona," Alonso said, as quoted on Autosport. "I made my debut last year both in endurance races and with these sportscar prototypes, as well as on this track. I was left wanting much more after a brake issue ended our hopes of stepping on the podium."

"After an intense year in which I've competed in both Formula 1 and the WEC, I'm really looking forward to 2019 and attempting to conquer one of the most important races in the world,” he added.