Fernando Alonso has secured a favorable 2027 contract with Aston Martin in Formula 1 and persuaded the manufacturer to back his return to the Dakar Rally, a event he previously contested with Toyota in 2020. The deal, agreed in August, was recently leaked through Spanish media. Alonso, who took sabbaticals from F1 between 2018‑2021 to compete in IndyCar and win Le Mans with Toyota, says the challenges keep him motivated.
He will drive an Aston‑Martin branded car, developed by Prodrive from the Dacia Sandrider that won the recent Dakar, possibly named "Dreadnought" after a Call of Duty concept. Prodrive’s history with Aston Martin includes GT and prototype racing programs, and initial tests on the new Dakar vehicle are expected within weeks.
Source: Autosport F1 News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing