Fernando Alonso completes a surprise Morocco test in a Prodrive rally car, sparking Dakar talk. He says it is not a programme and F1 remains his priority.

The two-time champion denies a 2027 Dakar entry, citing workload and timing. Balancing Dakar with an F1 campaign in the same year, he says, is impossible.

The Morocco run uses a black-liveried Prodrive machine and fuels speculation, but Alonso frames it as driving for enjoyment. More detail appears in the coverage of the run published last week.

He outlines why Dakar preparation diverges from F1 needs: continuous two-pedal use, reading terrain, and endurance over long stages. Those demands require dedicated focus to perform at an elite level.

Experience backs the view. During his 2020 entry, outside a full F1 campaign, he called Dakar one of the toughest challenges of his career.

Alonso regularly samples different machinery for fun, from karting to historic cars. A recent run in Ayrton Senna’s Barcelona machine underlines the hobbyist intent, not a competitive commitment.

Attention returns to Aston Martin and the 2026 calendar. Alonso targets the United States Grand Prix on October 25, while the team addresses form swings noted in recent analysis this month.

The test nevertheless shows Alonso’s appetite to broaden skills without diluting his F1 focus. That stance mirrors the Dakar-Aston Martin context outlined earlier, emphasising priorities over parallel programmes.

Clarity now replaces conjecture. Expect Alonso to keep sampling diverse cars for enjoyment, while his competitive commitment stays anchored in Formula 1 with Aston Martin.

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Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.