Dakar-winning Toyota 'feels incredible' says Alonso after testing
![Dakar-winning Toyota 'feels incredible' says Alonso after testing](/images/art/68e9b62f086cb27d43e2138e9c14fcee-1.jpg)
Fernando Alonso says the Dakar Rally-winning Toyota Hilux he's sampling in South Africa this week "feels incredible" after his maiden run in the car.
The Spaniard, who races for Toyota in the World Endurance Championship, drove the Hilux in the Kalahari desert, 900km away from Johannesburg, South Africa.
Alonso drove alongside 2009 Dakar winner Giniel de Villiers, who was at the wheel of another 2019-spec Hilux, which won the Dakar this year with Nasser Al-Attiyah.
He drove an eight and a 17 kilometre loop respectively, the latter featuring dunes which are a significant feature on the Dakar Rally. He will continue the test on Thursday.
"I have tried different series and different cars over the past two years and it is an opportunity to try something very different to what I am used to driving," Alonso said after the test.
"The car is going well, with good grip, balance, power and braking. Everything feels incredible.
"It has been fun. Different, no doubt, but interesting.
"The car takes a significant amount of abuse, more than I am used to having. But it was a lot of fun."
Alonso said he felt more comfortable than he had initially expected.
"Everything is very different," he added.
"The bumps are complicated to read, to judge their height and how fast you have to drive over them.
"It's still the first few minutes in the car, but I feel comfortable, more than I probably thought, despite the heat inside."
Toyota team manager Glyn Hall admitted the team was under "a lot of stress" to get everything right for Alonso ahead of his first run in Dakar machinery.
"You do not have a double F1 world champion usually in your car on a stage like this," said Hall.
"There has been a lot of stress on our part because we wanted everything to go perfect and it's a very special day."
De Villiers added: "We are in the Kalahari desert and it is not the place where you would expect to see an F1 champion in a normal way.
"It's great that Fernando came here with us to try the Hilux. It is the best way to try something so different for him and so new.
"It's a matter of getting used to the terrain, reading the jumps, the dunes, everything you're not used to."
Zdroj: autosport.com
Diskusia k článku
Najnovšie galérie
![Off road trial Hruštín Off road trial Hruštín](/images/gallery/off-road-trial-hrustin/tiny/dsc-0207-14.jpg)
![Off road trial Vyšný Slavkov Off road trial Vyšný Slavkov](/images/gallery/off-road-trial-vysny-slavkov-2024/tiny/dsc-0817-9.jpg)
![Offroad Tisovec IV Offroad Tisovec IV](/images/gallery/offroad-tisovec-iv/tiny/dsc-0455-11.jpg)
![Offroad Tisovec III Offroad Tisovec III](/images/gallery/offroad-tisovec-iii-1/tiny/760a6552-cr3-1.jpg)
![Offroad Tisovec II Offroad Tisovec II](/images/gallery/offroad-tisovec-ii/tiny/760a6374-cr3-1.jpg)
![Offroad Tisovec Offroad Tisovec](/images/gallery/offroad-tisovec-5/tiny/760a5919-cr3.jpg)
![Offroadtrial Brezno II Offroadtrial Brezno II](/images/gallery/offroadtrial-brezno-ii/tiny/760a5642.jpg)
![Offroadtrial Brezno Offroadtrial Brezno](/images/gallery/offroadtrial-brezno/tiny/dsc-3093-3.jpg)
![Offroadtrial Vyšný Slavkov Offroadtrial Vyšný Slavkov](/images/gallery/offroadtrial-vysny-slavkov/tiny/dsc-0471-5.jpg)
![Offroad Tisovec 2023 Offroad Tisovec 2023](/images/gallery/offroad-tisovec-2023/tiny/dsc-0522-5.jpg)
![Eurotrial Červená skala nedeľa Eurotrial Červená skala nedeľa](/images/gallery/eurotrial-cervena-skala-nedela/tiny/dsc-0965-2.jpg)
![Eurotrial Červená skala sobota Eurotrial Červená skala sobota](/images/gallery/eurotrial-cervena-skala-sobota/tiny/dsc-0067-15.jpg)
![Eurotrial Červená skala piatok Eurotrial Červená skala piatok](/images/gallery/eurotrial-cervena-skala-piatok/tiny/dsc-0455-7.jpg)
![Jakeš vs Miloň II Jakeš vs Miloň II](/images/gallery/jakes-vs-milon-ii/tiny/ac7i5960-2.jpg)
![Jakeš vs Miloň Jakeš vs Miloň](/images/gallery/jakes-vs-milon/tiny/asr67903-2.jpg)
![Hungarian Baja Hungarian Baja](/images/gallery/hungarian-baja/tiny/img-3281-6.jpg)
![Vyhlásenie ankety Zlatý volant Vyhlásenie ankety Zlatý volant](/images/gallery/vyhlasenie-ankety-zlaty-volant/tiny/hk-0543.jpg)
![Dakarské víťazstvo tímu Honda Dakarské víťazstvo tímu Honda](/images/gallery/dakarske-vitazstvo-timu-honda/tiny/327349-tackling-the-toughest-rally-on-earth-an-inside-look-at-honda-s-dakar.jpg)
![Tomeček na Dakaru Tomeček na Dakaru](/images/gallery/tomecek-na-dakaru/tiny/5084208.jpg)
![Hungarian Cross-Country Rally 2019 Hungarian Cross-Country Rally 2019](/images/gallery/hungarian-cross-country-rally-2019/tiny/img-0034-11.jpg)
![Rally Dakar cieľ Rally Dakar cieľ](/images/gallery/rally-dakar-ciel-1/tiny/ap-1y5q4rs8w2111-hires-jpeg-24bit-rgb.jpg)
![Rally Dakar 10. etapa II Rally Dakar 10. etapa II](/images/gallery/rally-dakar-10-etapa-ii-2/tiny/ap-1y5pv35a12111-hires-jpeg-24bit-rgb.jpg)
![Rally Dakar 10. etapa Rally Dakar 10. etapa](/images/gallery/rally-dakar-10-etapa-3/tiny/20190117dak0014-aso-f-gooden-dppi.jpg)
![Rally Dakar 9. etapa Rally Dakar 9. etapa](/images/gallery/rally-dakar-9-etapa/tiny/20190116dak0110-aso-a-vincent-dppi.jpg)
![Rally Dakar 8. etapa II Rally Dakar 8. etapa II](/images/gallery/rally-dakar-8-etapa-ii-2/tiny/2019o115dak0163-aso-dppi-f-le-floc-h.jpg)
![Rally Dakar 8. etapa Rally Dakar 8. etapa](/images/gallery/rally-dakar-8-etapa-2/tiny/ap-1y571s1752111-hires-jpeg-24bit-rgb.jpg)
![Rally Dakar 7. etapa Rally Dakar 7. etapa](/images/gallery/rally-dakar-7-etapa-2/tiny/ap-1y4wqabv91w11-hires-jpeg-24bit-rgb.jpg)
![Rally Dakar 6. etapa III Rally Dakar 6. etapa III](/images/gallery/rally-dakar-6-etapa-iii-1/tiny/20190113dak2058-aso-world-c-lopez.jpg)
![Rally Dakar 6. etapa II Rally Dakar 6. etapa II](/images/gallery/rally-dakar-6-etapa-ii-1/tiny/20190113dak0027-aso-dppi-f-gooden.jpg)
![Rally Dakar 6. etapa Rally Dakar 6. etapa](/images/gallery/rally-dakar-6-etapa-1/tiny/ap-1y4a5b7vd2111-hires-jpeg-24bit-rgb.jpg)
![Rally Dakar rest day II Rally Dakar rest day II](/images/gallery/rally-dakar-rest-day-ii-1/tiny/20190112dak0044-aso-dppi-a-vincent.jpg)