Aston Martin Backs Fernando Alonso for 2027 Dakar Rally Return

Fernando Alonso will return to the Dakar Rally in January 2027 driving an Aston Martin-branded machine, ending months of speculation about his immediate motorsport future while simultaneously committing to remain in Formula 1 with the Silverstone-based team through the upcoming regulation reset.

The dual commitment was finalized in August, according to reports that first surfaced in Spanish media. Rather than pursuing a GT racing program alongside Max Verstappen — a theory that gained traction after Alonso hinted at impending “surprises” during last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix — the two-time F1 world champion secured factory backing from Aston Martin to mount a second assault on cross-country rallying’s most demanding event.

Alonso finished 13th overall in his only previous Dakar appearance in 2020, piloting a Toyota Hilux. That campaign occurred during his self-imposed sabbatical from Formula 1, a period between 2018 and 2021 when he won the Le Mans 24 Hours outright twice and contested the Indianapolis 500. The Spanish driver has long argued that adapting across radically different machinery — from V10 and V8 F1 cars to prototypes and rally-raiders — remains central to his approach to racing.

The vehicle beneath the Aston Martin bodywork carries significant recent pedigree. Prodrive, the British engineering firm tasked with preparing the entry, will base the build on the Dacia Sandrider platform that won the most recent Dakar in the hands of Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Fabian Lurquin. The Sandrider itself evolved from the Prodrive Hunter, re-engineered with a new powertrain and bodywork styled after the Dacia Manifesto concept to meet FIA T1+ rally-raid regulations.

Dacia’s abrupt decision to terminate its World Rally-Raid Championship program at the end of 2026 — a year earlier than originally scheduled — freed the underlying architecture for Prodrive to repurpose. Current plans reportedly involve badging the new car as the Dreadnought, taking design cues from the virtual Aston Martin concept vehicle featured in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. Initial testing of the re-bodied chassis is expected within weeks.

Prodrive’s relationship with Aston Martin spans decades. Firm founder David Richards served as chairman of the British automaker from 2007 to 2013, and Prodrive previously managed Aston Martin’s highly successful GT and prototype sports car racing operations. This history makes the transition from Dacia to Aston Martin branding operationally straightforward.

Marc Coma is slated to reprise his role as Alonso’s co-driver. Coma, a five-time Dakar motorcycle category winner with KTM between 2006 and 2015, navigated for Alonso throughout the 2020 edition. His expertise in reading terrain and managing pace notes remains critical; unlike circuit racing, rally-raid co-drivers dictate survival over thousands of kilometers of unmarked desert.

Prodrive may not limit its ambitions to a single car. Reports indicate the organization intends to field a full multi-car Dakar team built around the Sandrider-derived platform, with Al-Attiyah and nine-time WRC champion Sebastien Loeb under consideration as additional drivers. No official confirmation of an expanded lineup has been issued.

The logistical execution of the 2027 Dakar faces external complications. Organizer ASO officially lists Saudi Arabia as the host nation for the Jan. 1–15 window, having published a detailed route comprising 13 stages and 5,320 competitive kilometers. The FIA continues to recognize Saudi Arabia as the sanctioned venue.

However, escalating geopolitical security concerns in the Middle East have forced ASO to develop contingency plans. Morocco is actively being evaluated as an alternative host, which would require compressing the event into approximately eight stages. A final decision regarding relocation has not been made, leaving teams preparing for two vastly different operational scenarios.

Alonso’s confirmed continuation with Aston Martin in Formula 1 for 2027 places him on the grid for the sport’s sweeping aerodynamic and power unit regulation overhaul. His concurrent Dakar campaign means the 45-year-old will attempt to balance winter testing for F1’s new ground-effect era with one of endurance motorsport’s most punishing off-road events.