Fernando Alonso has been filmed testing a Prodrive rally car in Morocco just days after the Aston Martin driver said that racing the 2027 Dakar Rally alongside Formula 1 was 'almost impossible'.
Footage has emerged on social media showing Alonso behind the wheel of a rally car in the Moroccan desert. According to reports, the Spaniard took part in a test with Prodrive. The British team previously worked with Dacia on its Dakar project and has also been involved in developing Aston Martin’s GT cars for many years. Alonso could potentially use a Dacia Sandrider entered under the Aston Martin banner if he were to compete in the Dakar Rally.
Alonso previously competed in the desert rally in 2020, working alongside former Dakar winner Marc Coma, who was reportedly present alongside the Spaniard at the test. It remains unclear whether the test means Alonso is working towards a 2027 Dakar Rally entry. However, the Spaniard previously dismissed rumours of an entry in next year's event.
What did Alonso say about the Dakar Rally?
Alonso addressed rumours over a potential participation in the Dakar Rally, while speaking in the Thursday press conference ahead of the recent Singapore Grand Prix. His comments appeared to distance himself from the event, although the recent footage on social media, will get his fans speculating once again.
He said during the Singapore GP weekend: "No, I don’t think it is possible. Physically, [it is] nearly impossible to fit two programmes like the Formula 1 championship and Dakar Rally."
When asked about other projects such as GT3, he added: "Not GT3, I never tried. You need a very big preparation and every one of these challenges, I think because I was more or less competitive in the past, people think they are easy.
“It requires a lot of preparation, a lot of determination, a lot of luck to succeed. So when I do the next challenge, I will announce [it]. It won’t be a rumour, it will be myself doing it and it will be because there is enough preparation and enough of a risk to take.”