Fernando Alonso gives his first reaction after testing a TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa Hilux for the first time. The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing rider, Fernando Alonso, completed a test on 27 and 28 March at the wheel of the TOYOTA Hilux winner of the last Dakar.
Fernando Alonso, who currently leads the classification of World Resistance Championship (WEC) riders with his teammates Sebastian Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima, spent two days learning how to drive a rally raid car during an exclusive test in the Kalahari desert.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa organized the test for Fernando Alonso to experience what a rally raid is. Dakar winner Giniel de Villiers and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing driver mentored Alonso.
The TOYOTA Hilux that won the Dakar Rally in January 2019 with Nasser Al Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel equipped a 5-liter V8 engine delivering 385CV and producing 620Nm of torque.
Fernando Alonso drove the Toyota Hilux in two sections through the desert, one 8 kilometers long and the other 17 kilometers long.
Fernando Alonso: "I followed the Dakar and thanks to TOYOTA GAZOO Racing I had the opportunity to come here to South Africa to try the Toyota Hilux winner of the Dakar 2019. I have been able to test many disciplines and drive many vehicles in the last two years and this was a great opportunity. It has been fun; certainly very different from what I'm used to driving, but very interesting. We have gradually increased the speed learning from pass to pass. It is not easy to read the irregularities of the terrain and to know what is the maximum speed that I can pass but I have taken a lot of confidence in each section. The behavior of the Toyota Hilux is exceptional, has a good grip and balance, a lot of power and impressive braking. It's amazing to drive this car. "
