Alonso spotted testing a Dakar car in Morocco, says no 2027 entry is planned
Fernando Alonso was seen testing a Prodrive rally car in Morocco days after calling a Dakar entry alongside Formula 1 almost impossible. He says a Dakar start is not planned for next year and that he simply loves driving cars.
A test that raised eyebrows
Fernando Alonso has been seen at the wheel of a black-liveried Prodrive rally car in Morocco, only days after he said that combining a Dakar Rally with a Formula 1 season was almost impossible. The sighting, reported by RacingNews365 and GPBlog, prompted suggestions that his earlier comments had not told the full story.
At the Singapore weekend he had said he did not think a Dakar start was possible, because preparing for a rally that begins in January overlaps with F1 commitments. The Morocco test appeared to point the other way, and Spanish outlets quickly linked it to a possible Aston Martin-branded entry run by Prodrive. None of that has been confirmed.
What Alonso says
Alonso responded in Austin. According to RacingNews365, he said a Dakar entry is not planned for 2027 and pointed to his wider racing, including karting. He said there are no rumours of a return to the world championship either, and that he had also driven Ayrton Senna's car in Barcelona without taking part in any historic race. His explanation was brief: "I love driving cars."
Background
Alonso knows the event. He entered the Dakar in 2020 during a break from F1 and called it the most difficult challenge for him as an F1 driver, a very different kind of driving that is part of its appeal. He has also said that fitting both programmes into one year is hard.
The Dakar normally runs in the first half of January in Saudi Arabia. GPBlog notes that contingency plans are reportedly being drawn up because of unrest in the Middle East, with Morocco mentioned as a possible alternative venue.
The numbers
Alonso's 2026 F1 season gives him plenty to think about off the track. After 17 rounds he has 7 points and is 17th in the standings. He has scored in three races, with eighth in Kuala Lumpur his best result, plus ninth in Zandvoort and tenth in Monaco. He has retired six times, in Melbourne, Shanghai, Montréal, Barcelona, Monza and Baku. Aston Martin's next race is the United States Grand Prix on Sunday.
