The F1 drivers that took on the Dakar Rally challenge

Formula 1 and the Dakar Rally do not have too many similarities.While F1 is all about speed and pure racing, Dakar requires acertain amount of patience, calm and experience. What is similar?Perseverance. Otherwise, there is no overall victory or WorldChampionship to be won. In the past, there have been quite a fewFormula 1 drivers who dared to make the trip. Due to F1's demandingschedule in recent years, many of the ex-F1 drivers that featuredare from decades ago. RacingNews365 lists some notable names.Fernando Alonso Currently, Fernando Alonso is a Formula 1 driver,but in 2020 the Spaniard could be seen at the world's toughestrally. Alonso temporarily quit F1 at the end of 2018 and took onother challenges such as the Indy 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans andthe Dakar Rally. Alonso didn't go to Saudi Arabia for fun. Thetwo-time World Champion drove for the Toyota works team, becomingNasser Al-Attiyah's teammate, among others. His navigator was alsoin demand, as Marc Coma, who won the rally five times on amotorcycle, took a seat next to his compatriot. Although he didn'twin the event, Alonso left a good impression. His speed was ontarget, but a hard crash on stage 10 threw a spanner in the works.Alonso misjudged a dune and rolled over several times. He would endup finishing 13th overall, partly due to that time loss. Jacky IckxJacky Ickx is and always will be a motorsport legend. The Belgianwon the 24 Hours of Le Mans six times, took eight victories inFormula 1 and managed to win Paris-Dakar once. True enthusiastswill remember: Ickx did it with a Mercedes in 1983. Yet he receivedthe most attention when he participated with a specially convertedPorsche. He didn't take a victory, his teammate Rene Metge ran awaywith it in 1984, but the car is and remains an icon in the DakarRally. At the moment it is still being driven in the Dakar Classicclass. Jan Lammers Jan Lammers participated in the Dakar Rally fivetimes, first in partnership with Jumbo and Frits van Eerd in 2010.The Dutchman made his debut in a yellow truck, but would drop outin the seventh stage. A year later, Lammers managed to finish therally for the first time and immediately picked up his best resultever by finishing 19th on behalf of the Ginaf Rally Power Team. Forthe 2012 edition, Lammers, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans anddrove four seasons in Formula 1 between 1979 and 1982, founded hisown Dakar team: Racing for Holland. The concept was the same as theteam of the same name in the 24 Hours of Le Mans: the livery of thecar was based on a chequered flag, with squares where sponsorscould appear. Lammers would finish twice in his last threeparticipations and retire once, in 2014. Jean-Louis SchlesserJean-Louis Schlesser is a lesser-known name in Formula 1. TheFrenchman drove two races in the premier class, after which hesought refuge in other categories. The Dakar Rally would become asuccess story. Schlesser made his debut in 1984 and eight yearslater decided to build his own dune buggy. After numerous successesin other rallies, the reward in the world's toughest rally followedin 1999 and 2000. Schlesser won with the Schlesser-Renault andcould have taken a third victory had he not acted unsportsmanlikein 2001. He blocked his nearest competitor during the penultimatestage and received a one-hour time penalty. Third place was theresult.