Max Verstappen recently showed interest in racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the future. However, he pointed out that he would like one regulation change to happen before he joins.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the most prestigious races in the history of motorsport, where drivers race for 24 hours straight. Each team has three drivers who work together and drive a single car for an entire day. A driver's stint can range anywhere between 45 minutes to four hours, giving the other two racers enough time to rest and be ready to take over.
In the past, many F1 drivers have participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A few notable drivers were Nino Farina, Juan Manuel Fangio, Alberto Ascari, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Mario Andretti, Jacky Ickx, Nigel Mansell, Michael Schumacher, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve, Fernando Alonso, Nico Hulkenberg, Kamui Kobayashi, and many more.
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In several instances, reigning world champion Max Verstappen has stated that he would like to race in other motorsport series apart from F1. In the FIA press conference at Monaco GP, the Red Bull star stated that though he was eager to race in Le Mans, he wanted a weight limit rule to be implemented in the competition.
Verstappen explained that since he weighs around 80 kilos with the race kit, several drivers in Le Mans who are lighter than him will have a massive advantage. He suggested implementing an average or minimum weight rule for Le Mans.
"Plus, for me, also the driver weight. I feel like there needs to be a limit on that, because I might rock up, 80 kilos with kit, but there is also a driver that can be 55 or 60," Verstappen said.
"And I find like, when you go to Le Mans, you have no chance. You know, that already is a couple of tenths a lap. It's pretty incredible, the difference. So they need to sort that out. There needs to be an average or minimum, you know, weight that you need to comply to," he went on.
"But for sure in the future, I would like to race. Yeah, it's an incredible event," he concluded.
Max Verstappen on discussing racing in Le Mans with Fernando Alonso
Back in December 2023, Max Verstappen eagerly spoke about participating in Le Mans. He added that he had a conversation with Fernando Alonso about teaming up for the race in the future.
In an interview on Honda Racing Thanks Day 2023, the Red Bull driver revealed that he spoke to Alonso about teaming up and participating in the long endurance race.
"I’ve been speaking to Fernando about it. He said he would only want to do it with me again. That would be really cool," Max Verstappen said. (5:10:10)
Even back then, he pointed out the weight issue and how his heavy physique would be disadvantageous in the race. Max Verstappen joked that Alonso is lightweight and hence would be a great teammate to have.
"The only thing is that for Le Mans there is not really a minimum weight for the driver. I’m quite a heavy driver, so I need to find light team mates to compensate. Fernando is quite light, so it would be quite good, but then we need to find another one – I need to have a look!" he added.
