Alonso Isn't Done Being The Most Interesting F1 Driver In The World

Image: Aston Martin F1
I don’t care what you opinion is, Fernando Alonso is the most interesting driver in the world, and has been for a long time.

From his long-haired shenanigans when he beat Michael Schumacher in his prime, rocking the boat at McLaren, deeply offending Honda, racing the Indy 500 and Dakar Rally, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans (twice) and the World Endurance Championship, and quitting Formula 1 altogether before coming back and now headlining for Aston Martin.

The man has been at the forefront of motorsports headlines for over 20 years now.

Now here’s another one. After months of silence about his future in Formula 1, the two-time World Champion has agreed to a contract extension with Aston Martin for the 2027 season – but as part of the new deal, Alonso has reportedly convinced the British team to back him for another try at the grueling Dakar Rally.

Image: Aston Martin F1

Alonso took on the Dakar Rally in 2020 with Toyota, finishing a respectable 13th overall alongside five-time Dakar motorcycle champion Marc Coma.

“Yes, exactly, I had to stop. I had to switch off from Formula 1,” Alonso told Motorsport.com of his previous sabbatical.

“I had to experience different formulas and different series, and learn from the specialists in those series and become a more complete driver… I love challenges. My way of understanding motorsport and my way of living is around racing cars.”

“I try to use that strength and maybe do things that were possible in the 1960s, ’80s or ’90s and now probably no one will try,” Alonso added. “There are things that people probably think that are impossible, but I want to find the limits of what is possible.”

Image: Aston Martin F1

The vehicle set to carry Alonso across the dunes is expected to be an Aston Martin built and run by Prodrive. It’s believed the rig could be badged as the “Dreadnought” and be styled after the Aston Martin concept created for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.

The machine itself will be based on the Dacia Sandrider that won the most recent Dakar at the hands of Nasser Al-Attiyah. With Dacia ending its World Rally-Raid Championship program early at the end of 2026, Prodrive is porting over the platform to Aston Martin. Marc Coma is expected to return as Alonso’s co-driver.

There are some questions around the 2027 Dakar Rally itself, however. The event is officially scheduled to run through Saudi Arabia from January 1–15, 2027, covering 13 stages and 5,320 kilometers. Yet, if you’ve been paying attention at all, you’ll know that there is geopolitical instability across the Middle East – to put it politely – which has forced event organizers to sketch a contingency plan.

It’s believed that Morocco is being evaluated as an alternative host, which would shorten the rally to just eight stages.

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