Dakar Hot News

Fernando Alonso Just Scored His First Rallying Podium

Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso

Double F1 champion Fernando Alonso has just celebrated his first rallying podium as he continues to gain experience ahead of his Dakar Rally debut next year

Alonso and co-driver Marc Coma have been taking part in some smaller events in preparation for the Dakar and a the Al Ula Neom Rally in Saudi Arabia he achieved his first rallying podium for Toyota.

The rally was won by Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Konstantin Zhiltsov, who passed Yasir Seaidan and Francois Cazalet on the final day.

“It was a good four days preparation for the Dakar and discovering new terrain and new things here," Alonso said, as quoted by Saudi Gazette. – quite the achievement for someone who’s been at it for less than a year.

Seaidan and French co-driver Francois Cazalet finished as runners-up in a MINI All4 Racing and the Spanish pairing of Formula One star Fernando Alonso and Marc Coma rounded off the podium places with the third fastest time on the final selective section.

Yasir added: “It was an interesting rally but difficult for us. We had many punctures and the last day was difficult navigation. In the end we finished in second place. That is a good result for us and we are still leading the championship with two rounds to go. It was nice to see Fernando Alonso here practicing over the terrain. It was a nice experience to have a world champion with us, for him and for us."

Alonso said: “It was a good four days preparation for the Dakar and discovering new terrain and new things here. To be third in the final two stages and to be third in the overall is the first podium of my life in rally. It is good that it happened now and gives us confidence for Dakar."

Pos. No. Driver or Rider Co-Driver Entrant / Competitor Vehicle Category
1. #201 Yazeed Al Rajhi Konstantin Zhiltsov Yazeed Racing Toyota Hilux T1.1 (1.)
2. #204 Yasir Bin Seaidan Francois Cazalet Race World MINI T1.2 (1.)
3. #205 Fernando Alonso Diaz Marc Coma Camps Fernando Alonso Diaz Toyota Hilux T1.1 (2.)
4. #206 Essa Al Dossary Sebastien Delaunay ED Racing Nissan Navara T1.1 (3.)
5. #207 Miroslav Zapletal Marek Sykora Miroslav Zapletal Ford T1.1 (4.)
6. #211 Khalid Al Furaihi Stephane Duple Khalid Al Furaihi Nissan T1.1 (5.)
7. #208 Mutair Al Shammeri Hani Al Shammeri Mutair Al Shammeri Nissan TL1.1 (1.)
8. #212 Faris Al Shammeri Musa Djiyerian Faris Al Shammeri Nissan TL1.1 (2.)
9. #217 Mohammed Al Tuwaijri Khalid Al Marshood Mohammed Al Tuwaijri Toyota T1.1 (6.)
10. #228 Khalaf Al Shammeri Jouan Al Shammeri Khalaf Al Shammeri Nissan TL1.1 (3.)
11. #209 Salman Al Shammeri Rasheed Al Toyawi Salman Al Shammeri Nissan TL2.1 (1.)
12. #214 Yousef Al Suwaidi Saud Al Tamimi Yousef Al Suwaidi Nissan T2.1 (1.)
13. #232 Khalid Al Remali Radi Al Remali Khalid Al Remali Nissan TL1.1 (4.)
14. #234 Sami Al Shammeri Abdullah Al Shammeri Sami Al Shammeri Nissan TL1.1 (5.)
15. #225 Reda Al Shammeri Shafi Al Shammeri Reda Al Shammeri Nissan T2.1 (2.)
16. #240 Al Mashna Al Shammeri Mazen Al Shammeri Al Mashna Al Shammeri Nissan TL1.1 (6.)
17. #215 Muteb Al Qunoon Ali Al Saiyari Muteb Al Qunoon Nissan TL1.1 (7.)
18. #218 Muteb Al Shammeri Tariq Al Rammah Muteb Al Shammeri Nissan TL2.1 (2.)
19. #248 Saleh Al Saif Muath Al Arja Saleh Al Saif Can Am TL3.1 (1.)
20. #233 Ahmed Al Malki Raed Al Assaf Ahmed Al Malki Nissan T1.1 (7.)
21. #237 Khalid Al Hamazani Fahad Al Omar Khalid Al Hamazani Nissan TL2.1 (3.)
22. #230 Owied Al Remali Mazen Al Enezi Owied Al Remali Toyota TL1.1 (8.)
23. #226 Nazel Al Shammeri Habib Al Shammeri Nazel Al Shammeri Toyota TL1.1 (9.)
24. #241 Abdullah Al Remal Murdhi Al Shammeri Abdullah Al Remal Toyota TL1.1 (10.)
25. #244 Sallal Al Dosary Mohammed Eid Border Guards Nissan TL2.1 (4.)
26. #220 Talal Al Badr Ali Mirza Talal Al Badr Ford TL2.1 (5.)
27. #216 Mohammd Al Sunaidi Yasser Al Hajjaj Mohammd Al Sunaidi Toyota TL1.1 (11.)
28. #401 Ibrahim Al Muhana Osama Al Sanad – Raed Abo Theeb Ibrahim Al Muhana Mercedes TL4.1 (1.)
29. #224 Yaqoub Al Towala Turki Al Rammah Yaqoub Al Towala Nissan T2.1 (3.)
30. #243 Saeed Al Shamrani Hassan Al Saggaf Saeed Al Shamrani Mitsubishi TL1.1 (12.)
31. #223 Aref Al Shammeri Khalid Al Baker Aref Al Shammeri Nissan TL1.1 (13.)
32. #222 Majed Al Amlah Mohammed Einab Border Guards Nissan TL2.1 (6.)
33. #213 Ahmed Al Shammeri Ziad Al Harbi Ahmed Al Shammeri Nissan TL1.1 (14.)
34. #238 Muneef Al Salmani Abdulsalam Al Nammash Muneef Al Salmani Nissan T2.1 (4.)
35. #219 Farhan Al Muharib Majed Al Muharib Farhan Al Muharib Nissan TL2.1 (7.)
36. #203 Ahmed Al Shegawi Alexey Kuzmich Ahmed Al Shegawi Nissan T1.1 (8.)
37. #221 Omar Allahim Waleed Al Fuaim Omar Allahim Nissan TL1.1 (15.)
38. #235 Ibrahim Bin Sahman Saad Al Shammeri Ibrahim Bin Sahman Nissan TL1.1 (16.)
39. #231 Abdulaziz Al Yaeesh Faisal Ftyh Abdulaziz Al Yaeesh Nissan TL1.1 (17.)
40. #247 Naqa Al Shammeri Abdulrahman Al Shammeri Naqa Al Shammeri Nissan TL1.1 (18.)
41. #229 Yahya Halawi Nawaf Al Enezi Yahya Halawi Nissan TL1.1 (19.)
DNF #202 Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi Xavier Panseri Abu Dhabi Racing Peugeot 2008 T1.4 (-)
DNF #245 Mubarak Al Zubaidi Abdulmajeed Al Abdullah Mubarak Al Zubaidi Toyota TL1.3 (-)
DNF #236 Ahmed Al Qashami Sulaiman Al Qashami Ahmed Al Qashami Nissan TL1.1 (-)
DNF #227 Saleh Al Abdulali Mohammed Al Naem Saleh Al Abdulali Hummer TL1.3 (-)
DNF #210 Abdullah Al Huraiz Ali Hassan Obaid ED Racing Nissan T1.1 (-)
DQ #239 Saeed Al Mouri Joseph Matar Saeed Al Mouri Nissan TL2.1 (-)