Fernando Alonso, imminent arrival at Renault?

Fernando Alonso returned to Formula 1 in 2021, three years after leaving it, it would only be a matter of days. Even hours to believe the Spanish daily Marca who said on Monday in his columns that the current McLaren driver in Indycar could sign his contract with Renault this Wednesday. Which would put an end to the contacts made since mid-May. A signature whose possibility would remain fragile, however, according to the Iberian publication, which recalls that the French manufacturer had other potential targets. What Cyril Abiteboul, the boss of the French team, recalled at the microphone of Canal + last weekend at the first Grand Prix of the 2020 season in Austria.

Asked about a short-list including the name of Alonso, but also those of Sebastian Vettel, Valtteri Bottas, Romain Grosjean and two young hopefuls of the manufacturer, Christian Lundgaard and Guanyu Zhou, Abiteboul had answered, without turning around the pot: “This list is a good list indeed, with associated difficulties which are particularly on our young pilots sector which is really close to my heart (…) There is not only Fernando on the list, there are many 'other." A list intended to compensate for the departure, at the end of this season, of Daniel Ricciardo to McLaren. For Renault, it is advisable not to rush, but also not to remain too long in uncertainty, if only precisely vis-à-vis its young drivers who need visibility on 2021.

Ocon delighted with the idea of ​​running with Alonso

For his part, Esteban Ocon, who is already guaranteed to stay at Renault next year, did not hide his preference for Alonso. "My personal choice has nothing to do with what the team will do," he told Motorsport.com. “I have a great relationship with Fernando. The helmet I have, and the only exchange I made between pilots, was with him. It was he who, during his struggles with Michael (Schumacher) at the time, gave me love for this sport. I don't know if he will join us or not, but if he could come back, I would be very happy. ” The ball is in the court of the Spaniard in any case who has a salary offer of between 9 and 10.5 million euros, which is significantly less than Ricciardo (17.7 million euros in 2020 ), economic crisis linked to Covid-19 forces.

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But Alonso does not seem to have made the economic aspect a priority, he who has not hidden his desire to return to F1. The Spaniard, who will be 39 years old on July 29, had opened the door again last month on this return. "From a physical point of view and in terms of motivation, I am at the top, so I would like to be able to focus on a major championship, whether it be the return to F1, the World Endurance Championship or the Indycar ". With a preference, understood, for F1 where he conquered two world champion titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006. Except that the brand in Losange is no longer at the top as at the time, which would be the current brake to negotiations. Will Alonso come back with only the prospect of fighting for a place in the Top 10 or even the Top 8? Answer, maybe, in the next 24 hours.

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