Alonso relegates Davidson to Toyota WEC reserve role

[Monty]

There are so few competitive seats in the top series of motorsport and I therefore think it is a real shame that an F1 star can simply choose to go and play in an additional series which results in another good driver getting dumped.
Davidson won five races in 2017 but he has the same problem in WEC as he used to have in F1 - no money!
I know this used to happen decades ago but there were fewer dedicated drivers then. Also, I'm sure there are a lot of people that will take exception to my phrase 'play in an additional series' but that is exactly what Alonso will be doing. He enters the series knowing he cannot attend at least one race. Unless of course he is hedging his bets. Perhaps he thinks that if the McLaren isn't performing to his satisfaction he will decide not to attend the US Grand Prix and drive in the WEC instead?

[Jericoke]

There are so few competitive seats in the top series of motorsport and I therefore think it is a real shame that an F1 star can simply choose to go and play in an additional series which results in another good driver getting dumped.
Davidson won five races in 2017 but he has the same problem in WEC as he used to have in F1 - no money!
I know this used to happen decades ago but there were fewer dedicated drivers then. Also, I'm sure there are a lot of people that will take exception to my phrase 'play in an additional series' but that is exactly what Alonso will be doing. He enters the series knowing he cannot attend at least one race. Unless of course he is hedging his bets. Perhaps he thinks that if the McLaren isn't performing to his satisfaction he will decide not to attend the US Grand Prix and drive in the WEC instead?

It is always frustrating when we're forced to pull back the curtain and see that top level sport is business first, and sport second.  You can't blame a team for taking the most money even if it screws over perfectly decent people in the process  .  (Of course, you're certainly entitled to be upset about it!!  )

There are plenty of people who lament top drivers being single series drivers, how the 'true racers' who will get into any and all available race cars are a thing of the past.  Personally, I think it's good for motorracing as a whole, even if it can be damaging to WEC.

Unfortunately for Davidson, Alonso running in WEC is good for the series as a whole.  Davidson can turn this to his advantage as greater viability puts a premium on drivers who can win.

[Alianora La Canta]

The real problem here is that there's only one "full" LMP1 team. In years when there were two or three, these problems were rare, because there'd usually be at least one car that had a proper vacancy. I'm still confused as to why Toyota is giving a seat to a racer who normally races Hondas (something that is otherwise strictly against company policy)... ...but maybe Fernando's moaning made them think that he is more a liability than an asset to Honda!

[cosworth151]

That situation always made me feel torn. Ant is a favorite of mine, but I can't stand Toyota. 

[Alianora La Canta]

That situation always made me feel torn. Ant is a favorite of mine, but I can't stand Toyota. 

I'd quite like to see him at new LMP1 privateer Manor