Third F1 title my “only priority”, wants Dakar return over Indy 500

Fernando Alonso is much more likely to return to the Dakar Rally than the Indy 500 in the future, but insisted his “only priority” is to grab a third Formula 1 world championship with Aston Martin.

Alonso signed a new contract earlier this year that keeps him at Aston Martin’s F1 team until at least the 2026 season, including an ambassadorial deal that is set to keep him tied to the manufacturer beyond his grand prix driving days.

Aged 43, the Spaniard says he is still aspiring the win a third world championship before his time in the series is up, with his team having bolstered its technical ranks with Red Bull design legend Adrian Newey, Ferrari’s technical director Enrico Cardile and former Mercedes power unit chief Andy Cowell in recent months.

He was also asked about the prospect of returning to Indianapolis to complete motor racing’s triple crown of winning the Indy 500, the Le Mans 24 Hours and F1’s Monaco Grand Prix, but poured cold water on a fourth appearance at IndyCar’s headline event.

“I attempted Indy 500 three times and didn’t succeed. It’s the only one missing [from the triple crown]. But at the moment, it’s not in my plan,” Alonso said at an event of Aston’s sponsor Cognizant.

“I’m very, very focused [on] Formula 1 now. For the next two or three years, I want to win the third world title. This is my first and only priority at the moment.

“After that, because I will be 45, 46, I think the commitment that it will require to go to the Indy 500, the amount of learning that I will have to redo again… it will be a little bit too much. Or it’s what I think now, I cannot say 100%.”

Rather than heading back to the Indianapolis oval, the two-time world champion said he was much more likely to have another shot at winning the Dakar Rally, which he feels would be a bigger statement of his versatility as a driver.

During his F1 sabbatical, Alonso finished 13th in the 2020 Dakar Rally with Toyota alongside five-time bikes winner Marc Coma, with a costly crash on the 10th stage costing him hours.

“I think my next biggest challenge will be the Dakar,” he explained. “If I can win Dakar, I think it will be hugely rewarding for me personally because I can win in Formula 1, I can win in endurance racing, win in Le Mans and Daytona, and if I can win in rally as well, it will mean a lot for me as a driver.