Nasser Al-Attiyah is urging Fernando Alonso to take part in the Dakar Rally one more time. The Qatar-based driver said at the FIA gala, where he collected his trophy for winning the World Rally Championship, that he is confident the Spaniard will return to the dunes.

After Alonso took a break from Formula 1 after a disappointing second adventure at McLaren, the driver from Oviedo, Spain, tried several other:e branches of motorsport, including the Dakar Rally. He competed in a Toyota Hilux and impressed by finishing in the top-ten in eight of the 12 stages. In the final standings, there was a respectable 13th place. Al-Attiyah worked with Alonso at Toyota's 2020 Dakar team. The Qatari has not forgotten the Spanish driver's adventure in rallying and would love to compete with him again. "I keep urging Fernando to return to the Dakar," Al-Attiyah told Spanish AS.

Return

The world rally champion calls Alonso a very talented driver. He already showed his speed in his first year, but rallying is a speciality that requires four, five or six years of experience to win. "We are still talking, we are waiting for him," said the four-time Dakar champion. "I think he will come back, he loved the Dakar. Maybe next year or in two years, but he will definitely come back," Al-Attiyah concluded.