The Spanish driver Fernando Alonso (Toyota) suffered an accident on Monday during the second stage of the Dakar that keeps him standing for more than an hour at kilometer 160 of the timed stretch of the day.

Although the organization of the race has not indicated the nature of the damage suffered by Alonso, the Spaniard could suffer an impact against a rock and to repair the damage requires the intervention of the assistance truck, which will take time to arrive.

Due to this mishap, the Formula 1 driver can finish the second day of competition many hours away from the head of the race , after Sunday signed a remarkable debut where he finished in eleventh position, about 15 minutes from Best time.

The Spaniard suffered this problem when he was signing superb stage partials , with times similar to those of more experienced pilots who usually lead the rally.

When passing the second step of the stage, located at kilometer 104, Alonso was a quarter of the day , only 3 and a half minutes behind the best time marked by the Emirati Khalid Al Qassimi.

In the next one, located at kilometer 159, the double Formula 1 champion had left another three minutes before he was forced to stop in the middle of the route.

The second stage of the Dakar consists of 393 kilometers, of which 367 are timed between the coastal cities of Al Wajh and Neom, with a route of stony roads, rock canyons and valleys that make this a complicated navigation route.

The novelty of this day is that, only half an hour before departure, the organization gave the participants the "roadbook" (road map), a roll of paper with all the indications of the day's journey to reach the points mandatory route route.

This made the pilots and co-pilots almost blind to the stage, since they are used to receiving this document the night before.

Fernando Alonso is the first Formula 1 champion who runs the Dakar rally, which in its fortieth edition, from January 5 to 17, is played for the first time in Saudi Arabia, with 12 stages and a 7,800 kilometer course, of the that 5,000 are timed.

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  • Dakar Rally
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