Alonso wins at Spa while racing through all four seasons!

40

Come rain, snow or shine, nothing can stop the dominant Toyota Gazoo Racing squad from sustaining its hegemony in the WEC.

The penultimate round of the endurance championship's 2018-19 super-season offered a sample of all seasons on Saturday, starting under a sunny sky before a blend of rain and snow eventually set in and forced a premature end to proceedings.

Through it all however, Fernando Alonso and team mates Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima never missed a beat, the trio sidestepping the treacherous conditions to win a race in which its only rival - Toyota's sister car - was delayed by a brake issue.

Alonso, Buemi and Nakajima inched one step closer to the WEC tile which will be decided next month at Le Mans.

Besides his team mates, Alonso was flanked on the Spa podium by a familiar face: former McLaren team mate Stoffel Vandoorne who appeared delighted with his first WEC experience, having helped steer his SMP Racing car to third along with Mikhail Aleshin and Vitaly Petrov.

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.