mobanmarketJeddah: Ahead of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso has said that while caution is in order for his first experience competing off-road, he will be ready to attack ‘at the first opportunity.’
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When the world’s most gruelling rally begins on Sunday, the 38-year-old Spaniard will be driving a Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux 4×4, the same vehicle that won the 2019 Dakar.
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His approach for the first few days will be conservative, but not so conservative that he falls out of the top 10 in the general classification, Alonso said during a media round-table in Jiddah on Friday.
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“Two days from starting a Dakar without ever before having done an off-road race, I am conscious of the challenge I have in front of me, and which many people would never consider trying,” the driver said when asked if he was nervous.
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“It’s going to be two weeks of experiences. Every day, what Marc (Coma, his navigator) and I experience inside the car will be enough to practically write a book. At the same time, I am ready to enjoy it,” Alonso said.
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Regarding strategy, he said that he would avoid ‘unnecessary risks’ in the first few stages of the rally, while simultaneously taking care to remain at least in the top 15.
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“You have to not take risks, but also not drive very slow. A good beginning would help build confidence to continue,” Alonso said.
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Asked about the enormous expectations surrounding his Dakar debut, he said: “The expectation will always be there because I live with it.”
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“Every day I get up, there are 10 eyes watching everything I do. When I do a kart race I have 15 or 20 chronometers on every lap I do and I can’t take a relaxed lap to breathe,” Alonso said. “My life is stressful in that sense because people always expect a lot from me.”
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With victories in the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Spaniard needs only to win the Indianapolis 500 to become only the second driver — after Graham Hill — to achieve the triple crown of motor racing.
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If Alonso can win the Dakar Rally, he will be considered one of the best all-around drivers ever.
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The 2020 edition will cover nearly 8,000km (4,970 miles), with more than 5,000km (3,106 miles) timed, starting in Jiddah and finishing in Qiddiyah, near Riyadh, on January 17.
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The Morning and Evening Brief