Fernando Alonso has welcomed former McLaren team mate Jenson Button to the World Endurance Championship following the Briton's announcement that he'll be joining the fray with Russian squad SMP Racing.
Button will dovetail his Super GT commitments in Japan with a super season of LMP1 sportscar racing, starting at Le Mans in June.
"I knew about this a few months ago," Alonso said.
"I'm happy for Jenson -- SMP Racing is a very strong team. The more good drivers join the WEC, the better it is for the championship."
The Spaniard kicks off his own WEC programme - and his hectic 2018 schedule - next weekend at Spa with Toyota.
"Yes, I'm saving energy," the Spaniard smiled in Azerbaijan.
"It's necessary to plan how much energy is required, so I think not in the short term but in the long term," Alonso added.
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