Alonso to wave off Le Mans 24 Hour race

The Spaniard, who was invited by the organisers as a leading representative of Ferrari, said he looked forward to catching up with old friend Mark Webber, the Australian who now competes for Porsche after leaving F1 champions Red Bull last year.

"We miss him in Formula One and I want to know how he's getting on in Endurance racing," the double world champion told the Ferrari website.

Alonso said he was also hoping to get some insights into the technology used in the hybrid sportscars compared to Formula One, which has entered a new era this year with a V6 turbo hybrid.

The 82nd edition of Le Mans runs at the Sarthe circuit in western France over the weekend of June 14 and 15.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by martyn herman)