Alonso airs Balance of Performance concerns for Cadillac
Fernando Alonso has spoken out over the Balance of Performance for the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona, claiming the Cadillacs didn’t have the speed to challenge for the front two rows in qualifying.
Alonso’s Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi will start from P6 on Saturday, as he bids to add another sportscar classic to his Le Mans 24 Hours success of 2018.
Jordan Taylor set the time in the car, which was eight tenths slower than the pole-winning Mazda of Oliver Jarvis.
“I think it was good, Jordan put in a super lap,” Alonso told NBCSN after qualifying. “I think starting from the third row is the maximum, I think we’re four or five milliseconds from the other Cadillac [the #31 Action Express car] that was just faster than us.
“So, yeah, I think the top four positions were blocked by the Mazda and Acura before today, because we knew their potential from the Roar [test]. It’s a long 24 hours, but I think the starting position is good.”
Alonso says he was advised to join an American team if he was serious about winning the event, after a disappointing first attempt with the British-based United Autosports in an LMP2-spec car.
Alonso added: “Last year we were not very competitive, so everyone told me that to win Daytona you need to be in an American team, because the BoP will never be the same for European teams, so this year I’m in an American team but we still don’t have the BoP as the others.
“But, as I said, I think we have a good reliability and good experience here with Wayne Taylor Racing, so we’re in a good position and need to execute the race to perfection.”
Kamui Kobayashi, Fernando Alonso, Renger van der Zande, Jordan Taylor
Photo by: Brian Cleary
Fernando Alonso, Wayne Taylor
Photo by: Brian Cleary
Renger van der Zande, Fernando Alonso, Kamui Kobayashi, Jordan Taylor
Photo by: Brian Cleary
Alex Zanardi, BMW Team RLL, Fernando Alonso, Wayne Taylor Racing
Photo by: Michelin
Fernando Alonso, Wayne Taylor Racing
Photo by: Michelin
Fernando Alonso, Wayne Taylor Racing
Photo by: Michelin
#10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R. Cadillac DPi, DPi: Renger Van Der Zande, Jordan Taylor, Fernando Alonso Diaz, Kamui Kobayashi
Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images
#10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R. Cadillac DPi, DPi: Fernando Alonso
Photo by: Art Fleischmann
#10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R. Cadillac DPi, DPi: Renger Van Der Zande, Jordan Taylor, Fernando Alonso Diaz, Kamui Kobayashi
Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images
#10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R. Cadillac DPi, DPi: Renger Van Der Zande, Jordan Taylor, Fernando Alonso Diaz, Kamui Kobayashi
Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images
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About this article
| Series | IMSA |
| Event | Daytona 24 |
| Drivers | Fernando Alonso |
| Teams | Wayne Taylor Racing |
| Author | Charles Bradley |
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