Paris (AFP)

Former Spanish F1 driver Fernando Alonso, in search of success in the legendary motorsport races, continues his preparations for the Dakar with his compatriot Marc Coma, five-times winner of the motorcycle event, for co-driver, announced Friday their team, Toyota.

After testing in Namibia and Poland, the pair is participating in its first off-road rally, the Lichtenburg 400, in South Africa on Friday and Saturday.

Coma, 42, won the Dakar on motorbike five times (in 2006, 2009, 2011, 2014 and 2015), on KTMs, before hanging up his helmet and crossing the barrier as sports director of the editions 2016 to 2018.

Double World Champion Formula 1 (2005 and 2006), double winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2018 and 2019), World Endurance Champion (2018-2019), already with Toyota, and winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona ( 2019), Alonso failed to win the Indianapolis 500 in two participations in 2017 and 2019.

After North Africa and South America, the Dakar-2020 will be run for the first time in Saudi Arabia.

© 2019 AFP