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REPORT: Alonso wins Le Mans 24 Hours

REPORT: Alonso wins Le Mans 24 Hours

REPORT: Alonso wins Le Mans 24 Hours

REPORT: Alonso wins Le Mans 24 Hours

Fernando Alonso is one step closer to claiming the motorsport 'triple crown' after winning Le Mans 24 Hours on Sunday with Toyota alongside his team-mates, Kazuki Nakajima and Sebastien Buemi, with Toyota also coming second with Mike Conway, Jose Maria Lopez and Kamui Kobayashi behind the wheel.

Graham Hill is the only driver in history to win the triple crown which includes victories at Le Mans, the Monaco Grand Prix, and the Indianapolis 500.

Alonso now has two out of the three wins required, with just the Indy 500 left. The Spaniard's stint behind the wheel came during the night and he displayed the driving which still sees him recognised as one of the best drivers in the world despite his troubles in Formula One with McLaren.

Toyota was by far the most impressive team on the field, as the winning number seven car completed 388 laps which was two more than the runner-up Toyota car, number eight.

Alonso was clearly enjoying himself out there, as he said over the team radio that he was happy to keep going, having got into the groove quickly even though it was his first time competing in Le Mans.

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“Tell me if you want another stint, eh? I’ve got into the rhythm of the night,” he said.

There was some speculation during the week that Toyota would manipulate the line-up so that Alonso would be the driver to cross the finish-line, but Nakajima was given the honour of the last stretch, having recorded the lap in qualifying which secured the pole position.

Toyota were full of praise for their driving trio, with Alonso's performance described as "exceptional".

"Without all six this wouldn't have been possible. Considering the fact he's a rookie, Fernando was exceptional. Especially at night," said Toyota team director Rob Leupen.

"Seb and Kazuki are two guys you can count on as well, they're great for the whole team.

"That's what makes the sport so beautiful, that you've got someone who's joining the team with a huge amount of talent who's capable of things like that and integrates into the team. That's what you dream of."

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