Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso has revealed that he plans to return to the legendary Dakar Rally following his retirement from F1.

It comes after the two-time World Champion admitted that F1 2026 is likely to be his last season in Formula 1 as things stand.

Fernando Alonso plotting Dakar Rally return after F1 retirement

Alonso stands as the most experienced driver in F1 history, having registered more than 400 appearances since his debut with the Minardi team in 2001.

The Spaniard is also one of the most successful individuals to have graced F1, with 32 grand prix victories and two Drivers’ titles to his name.

However, Alonso remains without a World Championship since 2006 with his most recent race win coming during his penultimate season with Ferrari in 2013.

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Last April, Alonso signed a multi-year contract extension with Aston Martin to tie him to the team until at least the end of the F1 2026 season, by which time he will be 45.

Alonso recently confirmed that he is poised to treat F1 2026 as his last season, telling the Chequered Flag podcast: “Probably – or at least to start with – it will be my last season in Formula 1 because my contract finishes at the end of 2026, so it’s the time of delivering and the time of truth. High expectations.

“I will start the season thinking like that, for sure, because I cannot think too much in the future.

“At the moment, my current contract is for two more years. With my age, my motivation, I don’t know how it’s going to be.

“If the 2026 season is running smoothly and we’re having a good time and there is a possibility to race one more year, I will be open, for sure.

“I will not close the door beforehand, but I will not start [the season] thinking that.

“I will take every race if it was my last race and I will enjoy every second.”

Alonso previously stepped away from F1 at the end of 2018 following a bruising spell at McLaren, winning the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours race with Toyota, as well as competing at the Dakar Rally and the Indianapolis 500, before returning with the Alpine team in 2021.

And the veteran has confirmed that he plans to return to the Dakar Rally after his F1 retirement, with Alonso keen to taste success on the rally stage.

Appearing on the Spanish-language Asi Empece podcast, he said: “One of the challenges I still have to win is the Dakar Rally – or rallies in general.

‘In rallying, you have a co-driver next to you who tells you the route, but you also have to have both feet on the pedal for almost the entire stage because that’s how you stabilise the rally cars. And you have to play with the weight when cornering and braking.

‘It’s a completely different technique than in formula cars, because if you do that there, you burn up your brakes and use a lot of fuel.

“And what’s more, the car doesn’t move because of the weight, but because of the aerodynamics.

“I love racing. I’ve had a steering wheel in my hand since I was three years old.

“Now I’m 43, so I’ve been driving for 40 years. I don’t think it will be possible to just quit overnight and never drive again.”

Alonso spoke glowingly about his two-year sabbatical, claiming that his experiences at Le Mans, the Indy 500 and the Dakar Rally made him a more complete driver by forcing him to get to grips with different categories.

He added: “It enriched me as a driver because I had to learn from the best in each series. I didn’t have a comfort zone, but had to learn everything from scratch, just like at school.

‘It was interesting. When I stop with Formula 1, the Dakar or another championship will awaken this passion for learning.”

Last summer, veteran F1 analyst Peter Windsor claimed an unnamed Formula 1 driver had conducted testing behind the wheel of a rally car “in massive secrecy” with a view to a potential future switch to off-road competition.

Windsor went on to confirm that Max Verstappen, the Red Bull driver and reigning World Champion, was not involved.

Most assumed that the driver in question was then-Sauber star Valtteri Bottas, who memorably participated in the 2018 Arctic Lapland Rally behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta WRC, the same car driven in competition by eight-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Ogier in 2017/18.

Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com, however, Bottas confirmed that he was not the one to have tested a rally car.

Asked if he was the secret rally tester, the former Mercedes racer told media including PlanetF1.com at the Dutch Grand Prix: “No, it’s not actually!

“The last test I did with a rally car, I think, was last year or the year before. It’s someone else.”

Having enjoyed a productive relationship with Toyota in the World Endurance Championship and his previous visit to the Dakar Rally, Alonso’s ties to the Japanese manufacturer could prove handy for his long-term rallying ambitions.

Toyota have claimed five Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles since their return to the WRC in 2017, retaining the teams’ championship in 2024.

The team, based primarily in the Finnish city of Jyvaskyla, will welcome back two-time World Champion Kalle Rovanpera for the 2025 season after a part-time campaign last year.

The WRC 2025 season will open with the iconic Monte Carlo Rally later this month, with Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville the reigning World Champion.

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