Alonso says Dakar still appeals, but remains hard to combine with F1

Fernando Alonso says the Dakar Rally still appeals to him, but he has not changed his view that competing in it and Formula 1 in the same year would be difficult. Asked whether he might contest the next Dakar, he referred to the position he had expressed in Singapore in an interview with RacingNews365 and other media.

Speculation grew after Alonso was seen testing a rally car. He said the signs had been misread: he is in a racing car every week and also karts, but did not hear talk of him entering the karting world championship. He also recalled driving Senna's car in Barcelona without taking part in the Historic Grand Prix.

Alonso is set to continue with Aston Martin in Formula 1 in 2027. He described his 2020 Dakar participation as perhaps the toughest challenge he had taken on, citing the rally's different driving style and the need to read the terrain. Drivers must brake and accelerate at the same time to stabilise the car, he said—the complete opposite of Formula 1. That difficulty is part of what attracts him to Dakar.