Fernando Alonso says United Autosports needs to “find more pace” ahead of the Rolex 24 at Daytona at thꦑe end of the month after finishing 12th in the pre-race test.

Two-time Formula 1 world champion Alonso will make his sports car racing debut at Daytona International Speedway later this month in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opener, acting as☂ preparation for a possible entry to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Alonso hit the track for the first time at Daytona last weekend during the ‘Roar Before the 24’ test, winding𝓡 up 12th-fastest as ex-F1꧋ racer Felipe Nasr set the pace.

Despite taking plenty of positives out of his first experience, Alonso said the team n🌟eeded to find more pace if it wanted to be comp🍌etitive come the race.

“I think it was a positive weekend,” Alonso said. “Obviously it’s nice to have the first run in the car and experience the circuit for the first time. There 🔜are small th💮ings that you keep learning lap after lap.

“The 🦩sessions are quite short and you share the car with your teammates, so it’s not that the amountꦆ of laps are huge, but they are better than nothing.

“I feel more prepared now for the race for sure. It was a good weekend to work with the guys, with the team, with the teammates and enter in this mood of sharing everything and adapting and making🐼 compromises between all of us to❀ be all-around happy.

“That was the main priority for the 😼weekend and that’s what we achieved, and was a positiv📖e thing.

“There are still little changes going on, and it’s the same with the performance of the car. It’s early days, it’s only testing, but we need to find more pace and hopefully be more competitive when we come back i📖n the race.”

Alonso will return to Daytona for further practice and 𒊎qualifying on January 25.