Fernando Alonso To Get Behind The Wheel Of A Dakar-Spec Toyota Hilux

Fernando Alonso will soon have the chance to test out a Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa Hilux designed for the Dakar Rally.

Over the past couple of years, the two-time Formula 1 World Champion has sampled a plethora of different racing cars and secured noteworthy race victories at the Le Mans 24 Hours, Rolex 24, and Sebring 1000. This year, he hopes to add a win at the Indy 500 to his growing list of accolades and is also said to be pondering an entry into the Dakar Rally.

Race Fans reports that the Spaniard will travel to South Africa this week to test the Hilux pickup outside Johannesburg. Alonso has a close relationship with Toyota as he currently competes in the World Endurance Championship with the Japanese outfit.

Last year, Alonso revealed that he couldn’t envision himself competing in off-road competitions, but he seems to have had a change of heart. After securing the Daytona 24 Hour win earlier this year, Alonso told France 24 that he’s considering forms of motorsport not limited to circuits.

“This [Daytona] is not part of the Triple Crown, but if I win Indianapolis, this will be Quadruple Crown. Right now, full focus is on the Indy 500. I’m thinking I’m trying to do something more maybe in different disciplines that are not only circuits.

“But I need to think, I need to plan, I need to make sure that I’m competitive, to have the right people, the right teams, and the right preparations. Whatever adventure is next, I will not do it if I’m not competitive or I don’t have a shot for winning. The aim is to do something unprecedented in motorsport,” Alonso said.

Winning the Dakar Rally would certainly be a way to do that.