Verstappen shares update on joining forces with Alonso

Max Verstappen has reiterated his and Fernando Alonso's plans to compete together in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

It has long been established the two F1 drivers' champions have their eyes on the famous race, which forms a third of motorsport's triple crown, alongside the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500.

Even now, the 27-year-old maintains he and the Spaniard know they "want to do it", which means the more pertinent questions are when and with whom?

Verstappen, who has been linked to the Aston Martin F1 seat alongside Alonso, is contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2028, so it is unlikely to happen before that point.

The four-time F1 drivers' champion has suggested in the past his current deal could be his last, or penultimate, in F1. He has also made clear how much he would like to race at Le Mans alongside his father, Jos.

However, the elder Verstappen is apparently not interested, which means the 63-time grand prix winner and Alonso would need to choose someone else to form their three-driver entry.

"It's in the back of our minds, we know that we want to do it," Verstappen told British newspaper The Mirror about his and Alonso's plans. "[My dad] is still very good at it, [but] he doesn't want to. He just doesn't want to do it anymore."

He added: "It's fine. Let's see what happens. A lot of things can happen. There are many great drivers that you can pick from. I have a lot of friends who also race, so it will be hard to pick one."

Verstappen suggests adding fellow Dutch world champion

It is a topic that has come up time and again for Verstappen, and Alonso being part of the picture has remained a constant throughout.

In late 2023, the Dutchman revealed he and the two-time F1 drivers' champion had discussed teaming up for the 24-hour race.

However, as someone considered heavy by racing driver standards, Verstappen insists the third driver alongside them would need to be light, like Alonso.

"Well, I've been speaking to Fernando about it. He said he would only want to do it with me again," he said at the time. "So I was like, 'Wow, that would be really cool.'

"The only thing is that, for Le Mans, there is not a minimum weight for the driver.

"I’m quite a heavy driver, so I’d need to find light team-mates to compensate. Fernando is quite light, so it would be quite good. But we’d need to find another one, so I need to have a look."

Last year, he forwarded a name that could fit the bill - fellow Dutchman and Formula E champion Nyck de Vries, who has already competed at the Circuit de la Sarthe on three previous occasions.

"One [driver] I would like to definitely have in the team is Nyck de Vries. He's fast and he's very light," Verstappen told F1 eSports star Jarno Opmeer.

"For the moment, when you're very fast and very light around Le Mans, it's great."