Fernando Alonso is ready to test the motor racing waters outside of F1 with a reported return to the Dakar Rally.

The 45-year-old’s future has been subject of speculation throughout much of 2026, but he recently ended that by signing for Aston Martin for another F1 season in 2027.

Trying to fire the Silverstone team back up the grid isn’t the only thing the two-time world champion will be focusing on though, as he seeks a return to the Dakar Rally.

According to Spanish outlet SoyMotor, Alonso will be competing in the world famous and notoriously hazardous Dakar Rally next year.

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The developments follow the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, where during the weekend Alonso let slip he made more projects than F1 on his mind, saying: “Perhaps there will be more surprises in the coming weeks , there are things that people probably think are impossible, but I want to find the limits of what is possible.”

What is the Dakar Rally?

The Dakar Rally is one of the world’s toughest motorsport events, combining long-distance racing with extreme off-road terrain, navigation and endurance.

It was first held in 1978, and the modern Dakar is based in Saudi Arabia and features cars, motorbikes, trucks and other specialised vehicles competing over roughly two weeks.

The 2027 edition is scheduled to take place between January 1st and 15th, therefore it will not interrupt Alonso’s F1 season or even preparation for it.

Where will the 2027 Dakar Rally take place?

However, doubts remain over the location of the race. Saudi Arabia is Plan A and has hosted the last seven editions but due to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, teams could decide to pull out or not have enough money to cover insurance policies.

An alternative would be the Morocco where organisers can be more certain of a full field.

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F1 driver Valtteri Bottas loves cycling. That’s not news to anyone who’s remotely aware of him out of the cockpit, but it’s true.

This, however, was a little unexpected. F1 will move from Sepang, Malaysia to Marina Bay, Singapore this week to close off a triple-header with a spectacular night race, and the Finn decided to make the journey…unconventionally.

You’ve probably guessed how at this point. Yep, Bottas is cycling to the next race on the calendar.

The Cadillac driver set off after the race on Sunday evening, handily tracking his rides (as ever) on Strava. That’s how we know that he covered off 35 miles of the journey before he found somewhere to sleep for the night, on the road (and we use ‘road’ advisedly, looking at some of the pictures he’s uploaded) for just two hours.

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F1 legend Lewis Hamilton experienced issues with his Ferrari during a wet formation lap at this Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

After rain and lightning delayed the start of the race by 40 minutes, the formation lap eventually got underway behind the safety car at 15:40 local time.

It proved eventful and chaotic as the drivers explored the wet surface. Isack Hadjar lost control of his Red Bull and veered into the gravel at one stage, while Hamilton was forced to crawl around the track and eventually park up.

Ferrari confirmed over the team radio that the car was experiencing a software issue as opposed to anything mechanical, and thankfully for them, the seven-time champion was eventually able to get going again.

It was unprecedented scenes as other cars also parked up and the field split, according to Sky Sports’ Bernie Collins, who said: “I have never seen a mix-up like this in a formation lap.”

Grid chaos in Malaysia

The FIA has confirmed that the race start procedure has now been suspended, with all cars currently back in the pit lane and waiting to get back out on the track.

However, there was confusion as to how the drivers would line up when we eventually got going again, with certain drivers set to benefit or lose out, depending on how they fared in that opening lap chaos.

“There is literally a rule written for suspension of start procedure that says in black and white, F1 cars entering the pit lane will start in the order they entered the pit lane,” Collins said live on Sky Sports F1’s broadcast.

“Yes, that was much more chaotic than that rule is written for but that rule is written there, so the people that have gained because they did a better job during the formation lap, through either understanding of the engine or pure luck or whatever the case may be.

“The people that gained will feel a little bit hard done by if it goes back to grid order. There’ll be pit walls talking to race control in both directions.”

UPDATE: At 16:06 local time, the FIA has confirmed that the starting order will be the original grid.

This means that Hamilton will once again lineup in P2, and not at the back of the grid, for the start.

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