Paris (AFP)
Fernando Alonso, who will be at the start of the Dakar Rally next month in Saudi Arabia, admitted Friday that he was not yet ready for the victory but said he wanted to "take advantage" of the experience, on the sidelines of the evening of award ceremony of the FIA in Paris.
Asked if he felt "ready" for the Dakar, the two-time Formula 1 World Champion said: "If I go there to enjoy the experience and enjoy, yes."
"If I think in terms of victory, I'm not ready, I'm perfectly aware of my lack of experience," he added.
"I will not be the fastest but I hope that I will be well placed at the end," continued the Spaniard, rewarded for his title in the World Endurance Championship 2018-2019.
According to Alonso, the Dakar, which will take place for the first time in the Middle East (from 5 to 17 January), is the race "the most extreme of motor sports".
"It can not be further from F1," he said, citing the difficulty of staying focused "for 8 or 9 hours a day."
The 38-year-old Spaniard, looking for experiences in the biggest motorsport races, also said he plans to compete again for Indianapolis 500 miles next year.
"My intention is to do the Indy 500 next year," he said, after being eliminated from qualifying in May. "It's the race I want to win now - it's the priority."
© 2019 AFP