Fernando Alonso clarifies 2027 racing plans after intense speculation

Fernando Alonso has denied that he will take part in the Dakar Rally early next year, prior to the start of the 2027 F1 season.

Earlier this week, various media reports stated that Alonso was set to enter the event for the second time in his career, having already competed in the famous event in 2020.

Having committed himself to an Aston Martin F1 drive for 2027, Alonso hinted that there were "more surprises" coming regarding his short-term future.

However, it seems that this will not be an outing at Dakar, as he insisted the two-week event would significantly disrupt his preparations for the new F1 season.

"I read those rumours," Alonso told media including RacingNews365.

"But no, I don't think it's possible physically.

"It's nearly impossible to fit in demanding programmes like an F1 championship and Dakar."

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Alonso denies GT3 adventure

Alonso's last entry at Dakar came during his break away from the sport, meaning he did not have to prioritise his readiness for F1 while battling for the win.

But as to what the "surprises" could be going forward, Alonso also moved to rule out GT3 racing, a class that Max Verstappen has dipped his toes into across the last year.

"Not GT3, I never tried," Alonso said. "It needs a very big preparation.

"Every one of these challenges, because they were good or less competitive in the past, people think that they are easy.

"So it requires a lot of preparation, a lot of determination, a lot of luck to succeed.

"So when I do the next challenge, I will announce it, it will not be a rumour. It will be myself doing it.

"It will be because I think there is enough preparation and enough of a risk to take."