Fernando Alonso offered Renault drive for 2008

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Renault boss Flavio Briatore has confirmed he has offered Fernando Alonso a drive at his former team in 2008.

Alonso announced his departure from McLaren yesterday after a fraught year with the team that saw him fail to win a third consecutive drivers’ championship by a single point.

Renault endured a torrid 2007, the sole highlight being a podium finish in the Japanee Grand Prix for Heikki Kovalainen.

However the team began work on its 2008 challenger in August as is confident that it understands the tyre and aerodynamic problems that plagued it throughout 2007.

It remains to be seen which Renault driver Alonso might replace. Although Giancarlo Fisichella has performed poorly for the team he proved a useful number two to Alonso in 2005-6, rarely taking points off the Spaniard.

It has been suggested that Kovalainen might join Lewis Hamilton at McLaren in Alonso’s place.

But the Spanish driver has also been linked to a drive at Ferrari from 2009, indicating he may only spend a year with Renault. Briatore seemed to confirm this saying:

I know how much he can still give Renault. But an agreement for one year would have no sense with an outlook projected for a period of time.

Photo: Renault media / LAT photgraphic

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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5 comments on “Fernando Alonso offered Renault drive for 2008”

  1. Kovalainen said a day or 2 back, that he does not want to race in a team where he does not have an equal status… Symonds on the other hands said, that these days in F1 team must have clear no 1 in order to fight for titles…

    If Alonso goes to Renault, he will not be going there as no 2… If he goes in, Heikki will go out… If Flavio gets Alonso, he will not need Fisi … unless he will be afraid of pairing Alonso with Piquet … What Alonso does not want is another “Hamilton” next to him :-)

    It may well be possible that own choice of a team mate may be one of Alonso’s conditions …

  2. dont think alonso even if offered a choice of running partner(3 paces behind is the term I think?)
    renault dont have a competitive car and it may take more than one season too sort that out – also he has been there and done it – didnt he fall out Flavio at one point? – rbr for a year for big bucks and then as your article suggested ferrari in 2009 – thats what I think will happen

  3. I would not underestimate Renault next season…
    a) their problem this year were not only tyres but also the calibration of their wind tunnel. and they seem to have sorted that out

    b) with traction control gone, the driver input and driver skills will be much more important than before. Alonso may be the part of the puzzle that may gain them the extra few tenths the car may be lacking…

  4. Renault could be up there again, they started working very early on their new car..and be sure that Alonso knows this and it will make him a happy man :)
    I wouldn’t be surprised if Alonso wants Fisico as his teammate again (just to avoid tension with a guy like piquet).
    I can’t think of another reason why Renault would keep Fisi, I couldn’t understand why they kept him even this year!

  5. Alonso and Fisi AGAIN? Maybe, Fisi isn’t so bad, it was he who provided all those 3rd and 4th place finishes that earned Renault it’s last Championship.
    You don’t have to win, you just have to score enough points, and Fisi did. We might also consider what Massa did this year…….anything less than 2nd place at Brazil and Kimi would NOT have won the title.
    Teammates COUNT!!!!!!

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