Alonso joins the 24 Hours of the Dubai Kartdrome team

One would think that immediately following the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale Fernando Alonso will be looking for a well-deserved break, but no, he has signed a formidable team in this year’s Kartdrome 24 Hours race, the 17 and December 18.

Thus, there will be no rest for the double Formula 1 World Champion who returns this year to the F1 grid with Alpine; the 40-year-old returns to the podium after seven years of drought by finishing second in the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix.

The next Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia, followed by the final in Abu Dhabi on December 12, will close a marathon season of 22 F1 world championship races.

Despite this, less than a week later, Alonso and his MD Racing team will roam the Dubai Kartdrome, in the heart of Motorcity, preparing to take part in one of karting’s most famous annual endurance races, which begins its second decade of racing.

Alonso is no stranger to Dubai and the Kartdrome, nor to the 24 Hours. He first entered a squad in 2014 that included former F1 drivers Pedro de la Rosa and Stoffel Vandoorne. Since then, it has become a popular visit to the UAE’s premier go-kart complex whenever it’s in town.

The best drivers and karting teams from all over the world will participate

During the 2019 edition of the 24 Hours Kartdrome, his FA Racing team, led by Fernando himself, won his first podium. The endurance karting bug bit the Spaniard, who has his own kart track in his native country from where he also runs a racing team.

This year’s winning team of this year’s 2021 Four-Round Endurance Championship Powered by EBC Brakes will get an automatic entry into the 12-hour kart race at the Fernando Alonso circuit next year, courtesy of the F1 world champion .

Although this year’s race is less than a month away, registrations are still available for the race with details to find here >>>

While Alonso is the big name in action over the two days, the event not only attracts the best karters and teams in the region, it is also well supported by international teams from Asia and the Americas, with a certain number of big names in European endurance karting. scene in action.

Some surprise entries are also in store according to sources close to the race.

Dubai Kartdrome 24 Hours director and organizer David Bright said: “It’s always an honor to have Fernando Alonso and his team here. They are like family now, and Fernando always surprises us with the seriousness with which he takes the race. Last year they were on the podium and knowing him he will aim for the top step.

“He has his mate Pedro de la Rosa in the team, as well as the promising young karter Nikola Tsolov in the team and his childhood friend and former F300 driver Angel Burgueño; they will be strong and a team to watch.

“But as always, the 24 Hours of the Dubai Kartdrome is known to offer a level playing field, with karts exchanged during races by our crew, which guarantees each team an equal chance of victory. It will be very close.

“This is our flagship event that has been going on for over a decade and attracts some of the cream of racing drivers – pros and amateurs alike – from around the world. This year is no exception as interest is high, although there are still registrations available they are sure to fill up quickly.

“He’ll be a cracker,” Bright predicted.

Although not yet confirmed, word is that several F1 drivers, inspired by Alonso’s need for speed, are looking to add racing to their schedule, as they tend to stay in the UAE after the final race. for testing young pilots and R&R much needed.

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