ALONSO ADDS BATHURST TO HIT LIST

Zac Brown has revealed recently retired F1 star Fernando Alonso had his eye on competing in Australia’s Great Race. Image: LAT

Retired Formula 1 superstar Fernando Alonso could race in the Bathurst 1000 with Walkinshaw Andretti United as soon as next year.

By MARK FOGARTY

McLaren F1 boss and WAU co-owner Zak Brown has revealed that Alonso has expressed serious interest in adding the Mount Panorama classic to the list of the world’s biggest races he wants to try to win.

“He is very interested in Bathurst,” Brown said at Albert Park ahead of the F1 Australian Grand Prix and the Supercars Melbourne 400. “He wants to go win all the big races and he considers Bathurst to be one of those.

“I don’t think you’ll see him in 2019, but I wouldn’t rule him out for the future.”

Alonso, 37, retired from F1 after winning the 2005/06 world championships and 32 race wins in a glittering 17-season career that saw him rated as one of the all-time greats.

Having won the Le Mans 24 Hours with Toyota last year in addition to the 2006/07 Monaco Grands Prix, the Spaniard will attempt to complete the fabled ‘Triple Crown’ at the Indianapolis 500 with McLaren this May.

He also won this year’s 24 Hours of Daytona and is poised to claim the 2018/19 World Endurance Championship as he chases big races and titles.

According to Brown, Alonso rates the Bathurst 1000 among the world’s great races and is keen to race a Supercar at Mount Panorama.

“He wants to do all the big races,” Brown said. “He’s ticked the 24 Hours of Daytona box now and he considers Bathurst to be a major sporting event and thinks the cars are cool.

“So I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in one of our cars in the future. But not this year.”

Alonso is still linked with McLaren, which Brown runs as well as holding stakes in United Autosports and WAU, despite ending his F1 career with four fruitless years at the struggling squad.

Brown and his fellow WAU co-owners Michael Andretti and Ryan Walkinshaw are adamant that Alonso would only be available to drive for their team at Bathurst.

“We’re not going to lend him to anyone else,” declared Andretti, who is visiting the Australian GP for the first time.

Add Walkinshaw: “We’re not going to give him to another team, are we? We’re not going to give him to Tickford…”

Brown’s huge collection of racing cars includes the Holden Racing Team VE Commodore in which Garth Tander and Nick Percat won the 2011 Bathurst 1000.

Alonso came close to driving it last year when he attended its shakedown in the UK.

“He almost had a go, but we ran out of petrol,” Brown explained. “He remains very interested.”

The AGP is the first time all three owners of WAU have attended an event in Australia together.

Tomorrow, Andretti is due to get his first look at Walkinshaw Park in Clayton, where WAU’s road car stablemate HSV is based.

Mobil 1 MEGA Racing is still operating out of the Walkinshaw Automotive Group’s old headquarters across the railway line.

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