Fernando Alonso Eyes Dakar Win and Le Mans With Max Verstappen After F1 Retirement
· Yahoo Sports
At 44, with his Aston Martin contract expiring at the end of 2026 and no extension yet on the table, Fernando Alonso is spending less time worrying about what comes next than most people would expect.
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Speaking in Barcelona on the weekend of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, Alonso confirmed no concrete contract talks have taken place for 2027, but remains remarkably unbothered by the prospect of his F1 chapter closing.
When the door does shut, he already knows which ones he wants to open.
“I will continue racing, if it’s not F1 I will do Dakar [Rally]. I said many times it’s a challenge that I want to take, winning endurance racing, F1 and rally.
“I want to win the Dakar, it would have no precedents.”
Alonso competed in the Dakar Rally in 2020 during his F1 sabbatical, describing it beforehand as “undoubtedly” the biggest challenge of his sporting career.
A major crash in stage 10 cost him hours, and he eventually crossed the finish line in 13th with Toyota.
The unfinished business there is obvious.
Le Mans Is Still Very Much on the Table – Especially With Max Verstappen
There’s also a potential return to Circuit de la Sarthe on the table.
During his sabbatical from F1 between 2018 and 2021, he won the Le Mans 24 Hours twice and took the World Endurance Championship title with Toyota.
That record makes him a two-time winner walking back into a race he’s already conquered – not an unusual position for him. “The 24h of Le Mans was a very beautiful experience that I might repeat one day. Especially if it’s with [Max] Verstappen.”
The Dutchman has addressed his desire to race at Le Mans alongside Alonso more than once, and the feeling is mutual.
He confirmed he had been speaking to Alonso about it, with the Spaniard saying “he would only want to do it with me again. That would be really cool.”
Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull through the end of 2028, which makes a near-term pairing logistically unlikely.
That said, Alonso has always been good at waiting.
The one door he seems content to leave closed for now is Indianapolis. “I think Indy… no, or I don’t have it in my head right now.”
During his previous sabbatical he made three entries at the Indianapolis 500 in pursuit of motorsport‘s triple crown – a feat only ever completed by Graham Hill.
The triple crown remains unclaimed, but Alonso’s priorities have clearly changed since then.
He’s also made clear he expects to stay connected to Aston Martin in some capacity even after stepping away from driving, whether in an ambassadorial or advisory role.
So retirement from F1, if and when it comes, won’t mean disappearing from the paddock entirely.