Preparations have begun for Fernando Alonso's possible return to the Dakar Rally in 2027, Spanish media outlet SoyMotor reports. Contract details are still being finalised, so the project remains unofficial. If it goes ahead, Alonso would return to the T1+ category four years after his first Dakar.
The project is linked to Aston Martin and run by Prodrive. Alonso's next major challenge would look very different from the Bahrain Grand Prix held in Singapore, where he made an eighth-place comeback. This time, he is expected to take on the desert in a former Dacia Sandrider developed by Prodrive.
It would not be a new factory Aston Martin. The car would be an existing T1+ prototype adapted for the programme. SoyMotor reports that initial tests could begin in the coming weeks, although neither Aston Martin nor Prodrive has formally announced a testing programme.
The vehicle would receive exterior changes to carry Aston Martin's identity, including bodywork elements and the brand's livery. Prodrive would remain responsible for the car's engineering and race operations.
That gives the project a direct link to Alonso's current Formula 1 team. Car and Driver España also describes it as a Prodrive-based programme, rather than a separate Aston Martin factory rally-raid operation.
David Richards leads Prodrive. The organisation developed the vehicle that previously raced under the Dacia name. Prodrive is expected to provide the technical and sporting base, while Aston Martin's role would focus mainly on organisation and branding.
SoyMotor reports that the initial plan may be limited to a single Dakar start in 2027, with no confirmed programme for subsequent rally-raid events. The project is better described as an expected or agreed return than an officially confirmed factory debut.
Alonso first competed in the Dakar in 2020. He drove a Toyota Hilux and finished 13th, with Marc Coma beside him. Coma, a Catalan driver and five-time Dakar motorcycle champion, is now expected to take the co-driver's seat again.
Coma is currently director of the Rally of Morocco. He had not ruled out competing again with Alonso. Their reunion would link the 2027 programme to Alonso's first Dakar attempt.
Before the Formula 1 weekend, Alonso had already hinted that another project was taking shape. He said more surprises could emerge in the following weeks and spoke about exploring what might still be possible. He did not name the Dakar, but the planned Aston Martin programme puts those comments in context.
The 2027 Dakar is scheduled for 1 to 15 January. Bahrain's next Formula 1 test is set for 24 to 27 February, several weeks after the rally in the current calendar.
The timing also fits the reported connection between the rally programme and Alonso's Formula 1 contract, which is said to run through 2027.
The project would give Alonso more than a new badge. He would return to the T1+ category in a programme tied to his current Formula 1 identity.
Contracts still need to be closed. Aston Martin and Prodrive have not issued formal confirmation, and neither has the Dakar organiser. For now, the project is an advanced plan, not a completed deal. Alonso and Marc Coma would reunite, with Prodrive and Aston Martin attached to a programme that reaches beyond circuit racing.
