Fernando Alonso has been linked with a return to the Dakar Rally and possible outings in other championships after teasing "more surprises" shortly after extending his Aston Martin F1 deal into 2027.
RacingNews365 understands that some of these potential surprises are in the final stages of negotiation and that an announcement will not be long coming.
Alonso's future beyond F1 has been subject to fresh rumours after SoyMotor.com reported that the two-time drivers' champion is set to compete in the 2027 Dakar with an Aston Martin-branded Prodrive car.
The report said Alonso was due to begin testing the car imminently, with Marc Coma again tipped to sit alongside him. Nothing has been officially confirmed, however, and it was Alonso’s own comments ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia that helped fuel the speculation.
Speaking to media including RacingNews365 at the Sepang International Circuit, Alonso said there could be "more surprises in the next few weeks", adding that he wanted to "find the limits of what is possible".
Dakar stands out as one of the more realistic options for 2027 because the Saudi Arabian rally takes place in January, before F1 begins its 24-race campaign in March. It would be his second appearance in the famed race, after finishing P13 in 2020, alongside the aforementioned Coma.
The other options
A return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans is similarly straightforward from a scheduling perspective. Aston Martin’s Valkyrie is already competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship and will return to Le Mans in June 2027, while F1’s Portuguese Grand Prix falls the following weekend.
Alonso won the race in 2018 and 2019 with Toyota and has previously indicated that a return, potentially through Aston Martin, remains of interest.
Formula E is a more complicated proposition. Alonso previously said the category’s new cars were appealing, but stressed that "Formula 1 is very unique and still the pinnacle of motorsport," before his full-time plans for next year were confirmed.
Formula E's 2026/27 calendar also directly clashes with F1 on several weekends, including China/Sanya, Portugal/Zandvoort, Austria/Shanghai and Belgium/Tokyo, making a full-time FE programme alongside F1 difficult to envisage in practice — and therefore unlikely, even on a race-by-race basis.
But Alonso is no stranger to trying his hand at new challenges. He has made two Indianapolis 500 starts, in 2017 and 2020, while his two Le Mans victories and 2018-19 FIA WEC title remain his standout achievements outside F1.
Max Verstappen is also continuing to explore life beyond F1, with the Red Bull driver set to race a Mercedes-AMG GT3 at Portimao on October 17, during his busy run of GT competition around the F1 calendar.
For now, though, Alonso’s next move remains speculation, and more concrete information is expected in the coming days and weeks. His "more surprises" comment has opened the door to plenty of possibilities, but as yet has not been officially confirmed.
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding as they look back on the Bahrain GP in Malaysia, but also look ahead to this weekend's race in Singapore. The confusing and shocking start is a major talking point as is Red Bull's rise.
Rather watch the podcast? Click here!
Most read
In this article
Never miss a thing from the Formula 1 season! Add the 2026 F1 schedule to your calendar at the touch of a button. Subscribe below and put the dates and times of every race directly on your PC or smartphone, so you don't miss a second from the new season.
Download the F1 calendar Download the F1 calendar
A variant with just the race and qualifying is also available.
Click here to download it..
Join the conversation!