Fernando Alonso will decide if he wants to compete in Dakar Rally after Morocco

Fernando Alonso has confirmed his participation in the 2020 Dakar Rally is not yet guaranteed. The two-time Formula 1 world champion admitted he will decide if he will take on the challenge after driving his first serious rally in Morocco. 

The five-day event in Morocco is often dubbed as the warm-up event for the Dakar Rally in January. Alonso has only completed test days and is yet to experience a full rally event. In an interview with Autosport, Alonso talked through his plans. 

"It may be an important moment. It will be eight or nine car days [including testing], and many kilometres, many more than I have done so far. The clearest and most concrete idea of how I feel and whether or not I want [to run the Dakar], will be after Morocco," Alonso said. 

"I know that I will not be at the level of the best, but at the same time, I hope to continue learning, complete many kilometres and see what feelings I have.

"Everyone has told me that it is unforgettable to spend so many days in the desert, to have to do your own repairs sometimes, to live the race 'in the wild', without the precision or even the comforts of F1. The objective in terms of competitiveness I can't say, because I have no references."

Alonso will be driving for Toyota in the Morocco event. The Spaniard made it clear he would like to test his skills in a number of different motorsport disciplines before considering a return to Formula 1.