Fernando Alonso finished 13th in Rally Dakar - stage by stage review 17.01.2020: DAKAR RALLY 2020 Saudi Arabia FERNANDO ALONSO REVIEW Stage 1 05/01/2020 Jeddah - Al Wajh 11 310 F. ALONSO TOYOTA 03:34:31 0:15:27 00:00:00 Easy does it for Alonso

DAKAR RALLY 2020
Saudi Arabia

FERNANDO ALONSO REVIEW

Stage 1 05/01/2020
Jeddah - Al Wajh


    11        310    F. ALONSO     TOYOTA    03:34:31    0:15:27    00:00:00




Easy does it for Alonso

Fernando Alonso has good reason to be satisfied with his Dakar debut. The two-time Formula 1 world champion from Spain finished 15 minutes behind Žala and narrowly missed out on a top 10 place. 



Stage 2 06/01/2020
Al Wajh - Neom




    63        310    F. ALONSO     TOYOTA    06:11:58    2:34:38    00:00:00


More than 2 hrs 30 lost for Alonso

After a long wait for his assistance team to repair a damaged wheel after an unfortunate encounter with a rock after 160 km, the Spanish driver finally crossed the finishing line more than 2 hours and 30 minutes behind the stage winner Giniel de Villiers. He now lies in 48th place in the general standings, 2 hrs and 38 minutes behind the new leader, Orlando Terranova.




Stage 3 07/01/2020
Neom - Neom




    4        310    F. ALONSO     TOYOTA    03:54:15    0:06:14    00:00:00



A great reaction from Alonso

Following a more than tricky stage yesterday, Fernando Alonso has reacted perfectly on the third special. The Spaniard, alongside co-pilot Marc Coma, crossed the finishing line in fourth place, behind the surprising Yasir Seaidan.




Stage 4 08/01/2020
Neom - Al-Ula



    13        310    F. ALONSO     TOYOTA    04:30:55    0:26:21    00:00:00



'Magic' Alonso loses his charm


Fernando Alonso is showing none of the form that propelled him to fourth place yesterday. The former F1 driver is still haemorrhaging time and went through km 300 with a 15-minute deficit.




Stage 5 09/01/2020
Al-Ula - Hail




    7        310    F. ALONSO     TOYOTA    04:04:24    0:12:23    00:00:00


353 km to Ha'il

In the sandy surroundings of the day, humongous rocks will serve as landmarks to avoid costly navigation mistakes! Less technical but just as impressive as dunes, gigantic sandy hills stand to attention in front of the drivers. The descents, occasionally scattered with desert grass, will require even more advanced driving skills.




Stage 6 10/01/2020
Hail - Riyadh



    6        310    F. ALONSO     TOYOTA    04:35:13    0:07:56    00:00:00



Alonso is battling well

Fernando Alonso has been rather efficient on this 6th stage. The Spaniard is only 4 minutes behind Stéphane Peterhansel after 265 km of the special!





11 January Rest day in Riyadh





Stage 7 12/01/2020
Riyadh - Wadi Al Dawasir




    6        310    F. ALONSO     TOYOTA    04:24:00    0:07:49    00:00:00


Alonso in the mix

Fernando Alonso is passing his first contact with the dunes with flying colours. The Toyota driver was just one minute slower than Nasser Al-Attiyah at km 161.





Stage 8  13/01/2020
Wadi Al Dawasir - Wadi Al Dawasir





    2        310    F. ALONSO     TOYOTA    03:52:27    0:04:04    00:00:00


Alonso completes the stage

Fernando Alonso has driven a fine special on stage 8 of the Dakar. With Mathieu Serradori yet to finish, the Spaniard has currently achieved the best time, 2’25 ahead of Giniel de Villiers and 3’12 in front of Yazeed Al Rajhi.





Stage 9 14/01/2020
Wadi Al Dawasir - Haradh




    9        310    F. ALONSO     TOYOTA    03:21:34    0:13:03    00:00:00


886 km to cover!

With this very long stage, the Dakar prepares to enter into the “Empty Quarter”. In order to do this, driving precision will be the main quality required, due to the hard and rough surfaces which could lead to damage for those who do not err on the side of caution. On arrival in Haradh, a city that developed thanks to oil and agriculture, the rally will enter a new phase.




Stage 10  15/01/2020
Haradh - Shubaytah




    56        310    F. ALONSO     TOYOTA    03:21:16    1:17:33    00:00:00


Alonso loses more than an hour

Fernando Alonso has finally completed 87 km on the special. The Spaniard, who had returned to the top 10 in the general standings this morning, is now driving without a windscreen and has already lost more than one hour.


Alonso rolls his car

Fernando Alonso has had an eventful start to the special, having put his car into a double roll after an accident in the first few kilometres. The Spanish driver’s Toyota does not seem too damaged, but his windscreen is broken, considerably impairing his visibility. He has been at a standstill for a while.





Stage 11 16/01/2020
Shubaytah - Haradh




    8        310    F. ALONSO     TOYOTA    04:30:36    0:16:25    00:00:00



Very dangerous dunes

Keep your eyes peeled as the day begins with a spectacle that lasts for 80 kilometres: the finest dues of the country. Over such a distance, the risks of lingering too long on a mound of sand to take in the sights are real. The competitors will then follow in the footsteps of the first prospectors for black gold who explored the region, bringing the marathon stage to a close.




Stage 12 17/01/2020
Haradh - Qiddiya



    4        310    F. ALONSO     TOYOTA    01:20:55    0:03:25    00:00:00


Alonso on a good day

Fernando Alonso has a shot at claim his first Dakar stage win. The Spaniard was only 25 seconds slower than Nasser Al-Attiyah at km 69, while Carlos Sainz is putting in a solid performance 1 minute behind the leader.

- ASO - MaP