TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Dakar Rally Team – Morocco Testing with Fernando Alonso and Nasser Al-Attiyah

0:07 – Testing day 1
2:58 – Testing day 2
7:51 – Testing day 3
14:10 – Interview with Fernando Alonso
15:09 – Interview with Nasser Al-Attiyah
15:52 – Interview with Giniel de Villiers
18:17 – Interview with Bernhard Ten Brinke
19:16 – Interview with Glyn Hall, Team Principal

Fernando Alonso and Marc Coma will enter their first international rally raid competition in the Toyota Hilux with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing at the 2019 Rally of Morocco, final round of the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies, as the pair advance through an intensive training programme with their sights set firmly on the Dakar Rally. The Spanish duo’s second rally raid competition comes just three weeks after their first outing at the Lichtenburg 400 of the local South African Cross Country Series, an eventful race which tested their perseverance and resolve to the limits.

Joining multiple world champions Fernando and Marc in Morocco are the equally star-studded crews of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa who boast multiple Dakar Rally and Rally of Morocco victories, and FIA titles between them with: Nasser Al-Attiyah and navigator Mathieu Baumel, Giniel de Villiers and navigator Alex Haro, and Bernhard Ten Brinke and navigator Tom Colsoul. The four crews in TOYOTA GAZOO Racing colours will test their skills against an unparalleled field with impressive lists of accolades of their own as reigning Dakar Rally champions, Nasser and Mathieu, defend their Rally of Morocco crown for the fifth time, heading into the final round of the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies in the lead.

From September 29, Fernando and Marc completed a successful four-day testing session in preparation for the Rally of Morocco near Erfoud, some 400 kilometres south of Fes, adding another 1,400 kilometres of quality mileage to their training programme as they both transition into a new discipline of motorsport. The pair continued to be mentored by Dakar Rally winner, Giniel, who also performed technical tests for the team with his new navigator, Alex, before Nasser, Mathieu, Bernhard and Tom completed the team for the pre-event test.

While Giniel has been mentoring Fernando in the Toyota Hilux at various tests since March, Nasser recently invited his new Spanish teammate to Qatar for a private training session in side-by-side off-road vehicles to share his vast rally raid expertise with the newcomer. Without taking a break, Fernando demonstrated his determination, travelling for the two-day training in the Qatari dunes immediately following the conclusion of the South African race.

Starting and concluding in the city of Fes on October 3-9, the 20th anniversary running of the Rally of Morocco will see crews tackling a mixture of technical, fast and sandy tracks and dunes on the edge of the Sahara Desert. Considered a precursor and final long distance training for the Dakar Rally, the latest edition of the Rally of Morocco features a cloverleaf layout with five competitive stages starting on October 5 and covering a total distance of nearly 2,500 kilometres.

Previous Testing Sessions:
▪ Namibia –    • TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Dakar Rally Team – Nam...  
▪ Poland –    • TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Dakar Rally Team – Pol...  
▪ Lichtenburg –    • TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Dakar Rally Team – Lic...