Fernando Alonso will undergo an intense training program with Toyota ahead of next year's Dakar Rally.
The Japanese carmaker says Alonso will work with its Dakar Rally team in the next five months to "familiarize himself with the challenging rigors of rally raid."
Toyota says Alonso will take part in test sessions the rest of the year across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
It says Alonso "will push his limits to develop the off-road driving skills needed to tackle some of motorsport's most challenging events."
Alonso's participation in the January rally in Saudi Arabia still hasn't been officially confirmed. The 38-year-old Alonso took a test drive in March in the Toyota Hilux truck that won the Dakar Rally this year.
The two-time Formula One champion says he has always maintained his desire to pursue "new challenges in different disciplines" and that he is "really looking forward to the next few months of training."
Toyota says Alonso's training program begins Tuesday with a three-day test session in the deserts of southern Africa. He is expected to be back in action in September.
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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A race car veered off the track during a competition in Sri Lanka on Sunday and rammed into a crowd of spectators and race officials, killing seven people and injuring 20 others, officials said.
Thousands of spectators looked on as the mishap took place during a race in the town of Diyatalawa in the tea-growing central hills, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) east of the capital Colombo.
It wasn't immediately clear what caused the mishap.
Police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said one of the cars veered off the track and crashed into spectators and officials of the event. Seven people, including four officials, were killed and another 20 were being treated at a hospital, said Thalduwa. He said three of the injured were in critical condition.
Thalduwa said police have launched an investigation into the accident, which was the 17th out of 24 events scheduled. The race was suspended after the accident.
About 45,000 spectators had gathered at the race circuit at a Sri Lankan military academy. The event was organized by the Sri Lankan army and Sri Lanka Automobile Sports.
People attend to the injured after a racing car crashed into the spectators during the Fox Hill Supercross, a motor racing event organized by the Sri Lanka's army, in Diyatalawa, Sri Lanka, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/STR)
People gather around a car that had crashed into the spectators during the Fox Hill Supercross, a motor racing event organized by the Sri Lanka's army, in Diyatalawa, Sri Lanka, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/STR)
