Bad news for Alonso and United Autosports at Daytona

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A puncture and brake issues sent Fernando Alonso's United Autosports Ligier down the order overnight at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The #23 car driven by the Spaniard along with Lando Norris and Phil Hanson enjoyed a steady start when the race kicked off on Saturday, running consistently in the top 10 and rising as high as sixth at one point.

The crew lost three laps shortly before the eight-hour mark when Hanson picked up a puncture and limped back to the pits where the team was forced to repair the Ligier's damaged bodywork.

Alonso took over but brake master cylinder failure sent the United Autosports car back into the pits, this time for a lengthy stop which left the #23 car a massive 26 laps off the lead. Alonso however, vowed to fight on.

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“Unlucky situation with Phil, we had a puncture before I jump in the car. We lost four laps there with some damage on the car," Alonso commented in a video posted on Instagram.

"But my stints were good. We had a little bit of pace now at night, the car felt much better. Then we had the safety car and managed to recover two laps. So we were in contention for the top five probably. We were P6 already.

"And we had now a brakes issue and we have to put the car in the garage. The mechanics are doing their best, we will hopefully go back to the track soon but obviously the positions are compromised, we are losing a lot of laps.

"So that’s a shame but we will try our best until the last lap and thanks for being here."

With eleven hours to go, four cars remained on the lead lap, with the #31Whelen Racing Engineering Cadillac DPi of Felipe Nasr, Mike Conway and Eric Curran holding first place.

United Autosports' second entry, driven by Paul di Resta, Bruno Senna, Will Owen and Hugo de Saedeleer, held its own in the top ten, the #32 Ligier battling for top LMP2 honors with the #37 Jackie Chan Racing car of Lance Stroll.

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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.