Fernando Alonso is back in F1. Here’s why
Seven years on from his last win, everyone’s favourite toy-throwing pram pilot is back.
Wait, what? Why is this happening?
Because, above all else, Fernando Alonso misses racing in Formula 1. In the two years since he retired from F1, he’s raced pretty much anything – LMP1, karts, Dakar, simulators – and he’s loved it. Rarely have I seen a bigger smile on his face than at the FIA prize-giving ceremony last December, when he was preparing for his first Dakar.
But F1 is where Alonso’s heart is at. He’s a two-time world champion and he fancies his chances when F1’s new rules are introduced in 2022. Few drivers are more adaptable than Alonso, which means he’ll learn the new ’22 car faster than most.
Why do Renault want him? Are they mad or desperate? First up, they need a new driver. Daniel Ricciardo is switching to McLaren for 2021, leaving only Esteban Ocon – in just his third full season – in the team. Of the current superstars, only Seb Vettel is a free agent. Vettel or Alonso? It’s six of one, half a dozen of the other, although Alonso’s probably a better racing driver. ‘When racing for position,’ says Pat Symonds, who worked with Alonso at Renault in the championship years, ‘he’s deliberately inconsistent because that makes him harder to pass; it’s harder for the guy behind to plan a move.’
Alonso also has a lot of experience in the art of developing a car, which will be crucial in this transitional phase. And there’s a chance that his time in sports cars will have taught him more about teamwork. There should be fewer public tantrums…
At 40, isn’t he over the hill?
More than his age, how will two years away from F1 have affected Alonso’s feel for the limit in such a precise sport? The precedent is Kimi Räikkönen, who spent 2010 and ’11 rallying. He finished seventh in his first race back.
‘The only thing that matters is the stopwatch,’ says Fernando, emphatically. ‘Age means nothing just as long as you’re fast enough.’
Can Alonso match his team-mate?
Be in no doubt about the pace of Ocon. He’s a Mercedes protégée, and he remains on a bungee back to the team should they need him as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement, whenever that time comes.
If Alonso has lost anything, it’ll most likely be over one lap – that’s where the first cracks appear. But the points are only handed out on Sundays, when tyre management and experience count for more than speed. Over to you, Fernando.
Is this deal good news for F1?
Undoubtedly, yes. The sport needs stars and few shine more brightly than Alonso. He’s a controversial character who’s always in the eye of the storm. He also has a cult following in Spain, which needs a ratings boost in order to keep pay channel Movistar interested. Ocial statistics show that only 104,000 people watched the Austrian GP, in a country that regularly used to attract 10 million viewers in Alonso’s heyday.
‘The only thing that matters is the stopwatch. Age means nothing as long you’re fast enough’
Fernando Alonso