Montoya joins Alonso at Le Mans for Triple Crown battle!

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Fernando Alonso has a fierce rival to contend with in his ambition to become the second man in motorsport history to win the Triple Crown.

The feat, which entails winning the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indy 500 and Le Mans, was achieved only once, by the legendary Graham Hill.

Alonso, who has yet to secure two of the three milestones, having already won the Monaco GP, tried his hand at the Indy 500 last year and will be racing in June at Le Mans with the front-running Toyota team.

United Autosports, the sportscar team part-owned by McLaren boss Zak Brown, has just announced that two-time Indy 500 winner and 2003 Monaco GP laureate Juan Pablo Montoya will join the LMP2 outfit for the 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours.

Grosjean lurking in the wings at Le Mans drive!

The Colombian will be sharing his #32 Ligier JS P2 with United's regular drivers Will Owen and Hugo de Sadeleer.

"I’m very excited about the opportunity to experience Le Mans and I’m looking forward to joining United Autosports after they had such a strong finish at Le Mans last year.

"I’ve always watched the race so I’m very happy to finally be part of it. Hopefully we can have a shot at a win."

An outright win for Montoya next June at Le Mans is unlikely given the event's expanded faster LMP1 field, but the seven-time Grand Prix winner could consider the race as an exploratory endeavor for the future.

As a member of Penske's Daytona Prototype international IMSA outfit, Montoya will be attentive to ongoing talks between IMSA and the ACO/WEC sanctioning bodies about allowing a DPi-style car to potentially replace the LMP1 category sometime in the future.

"It would be cool to get some experience there if I can," Montoya recently told RACER's Marshall Pruett.

"I've never been there [for the race]. I've been to the go-kart track there, but that's it. And my personal opinion is I think the rules will go towards the [DPi] formula that IMSA has.

"It would be really good, and would strengthen the chances of DPi teams going there."

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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.