24 Hours of Daytona: Alonso will start in 6th position

Fernando Alonso is placed. The Spaniard and his partners will start in 6th position on Saturday on the starting grid of the 24 Hours of Daytona. American Jordan Taylor, son of team owner Wayne Taylor Racing, drove the Cadillac DPi-VR prototype to set his fastest qualifying lap in 1’34 »479. Pole position went to Britain’s Olivier Jarvis, driving the Mazda RT24-P, in 1 min 33 sec 685/1000th, a new lap record (previous record 1:33.875 by American PJ Jones in 1993). Jarvis beat American Ricky Taylor (1’33 »873) and Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya (1’34 »095), both driving the Penske Acura ARX-05.

Alonso, 37, is participating for the second consecutive year in the 24 Hours of Daytona. The double F1 world champion finished 38th for his first experience in endurance. He has since won the 6 Hours of Spa and especially the 24 Hours of Le Mans, getting a little closer to his dream of becoming the second driver after the Briton Graham Hill to hold the « Triple Crown », grouping victories at the Grand Prix of F1 of Monaco, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 500 miles of Idianapolis, his next target in May. For this second participation in the Florida event, Alonso, who ended his F1 career at the end of November, joined the team which won the last two editions. He teams up with Jordan Taylor, the Japanese Kamui Kobayashi, a Toyota driver like the Spaniard in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and the Dutchman Renger van der Zande.

Daytona 24 Hours qualifying standings:

1. Oliver Jarvis/Tristan Nunez/Timo Bernhard/Rene Rast (GBR/USA/GER/GER, Mazda Team Hoest) 1:33.685

2. Ricky Taylor/Helio Castroneves/Alexander Rossi (USA/BRA/USA, Acura Team Penske) 1:33.873

3. Juan Pablo Montoya/Dane Cameron/Simon Pagenaud (COL/USA/FRA, Acura Team Penske) 1:34.095

4. Jonathan Bomarito/Harry Tincknell/Olivier Pla (USA/GBR/FRA, Mazda Team Joest) 1:34.212

5. Felipe Nasr/Eric Curran/Pipo Derani (BRA/USA/BRA, Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac) 1:34.433

6. Jordan Taylor/Fernando Alonso/Kamui Kobayashi/Renger van Der Zande (USA/ESP/JPN/NED, Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac) 1:34.479