Fernando Alonso will compete in the 2027 Dakar Rally with Aston Martin after agreeing terms in August.

Fernando Alonso has agreed to contest the 2027 Dakar Rally with Aston Martin backing after negotiating the deal alongside his Formula 1 contract extension. The agreement was reached in August but only emerged through Spanish media reports, with Alonso making cryptic remarks about upcoming surprises during the Malaysia Grand Prix weekend.

Alonso will drive an Aston Martin-branded car prepared by Prodrive, based on the Dacia Sandrider that won the most recent Dakar Rally with Nasser Al-Attiyah. The vehicle will be re-engineered and possibly badged as the Dreadnought, styled after the virtual Aston Martin concept from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.

Marc Coma, who partnered Alonso during his 2020 Dakar attempt, is expected to return as co-driver. The fellow Spaniard won the motorcycle category five times with KTM between 2006 and 2015, bringing extensive rally-raid experience to the partnership.

The 2027 Dakar Rally faces uncertainty over its location, with Saudi Arabia officially scheduled to host from January 1-15 but Morocco being considered as a backup due to Middle East security concerns. The event could be shortened to eight stages if moved to Morocco as a contingency plan.