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Carlos Sainz for Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari, Daniel Ricciardo for Carlos Sainz at McLaren: The next logical question should be: Who will drive the second yellow Renault Works race car alongside Esteban Ocon from 2021? Is team boss Cyril Abiteboul planning an excellent coup to save the Grand Prix program, and is he getting a superstar like Fernando Alonso or Sebastian Vettel? Many Formula 1 fans would like that, as shown by various fan forums.
The starting position is less than inspiring: Renault lost the goal of the season in 2019 and only finished fifth in the World Championship. At the same time, the chassis plant in Enstone, England and the Viry-Châtillon engine plant were expanded for a large amount of money.
Even before Corona, the Renault group had fallen red for the first time in ten years: a loss of 141 million euros, as Renault confirmed in mid-February. Acting Chief Clotilde Delbos spoke of job cuts and that everything should be put to the test, including participation in Formula 1.
Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul continues to trust: “If we receive a fairer distribution of the cash prize, our work will make sense from a technical and financial perspective as well as from a marketing perspective. We have spent 42 years in Formula racing 1 and Renault, as a brand, has benefited from this. ”
Does Abiteboul want to convince the boss with the commitment of a superstar like Sebastian Vettel or Fernando Alonso? From a marketing perspective, the commitment of a multiple world champion would be a primary guarantee worldwide. Nothing against Nico Hülkenberg, Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo or Esteban Ocon, all great runners, but Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel play in a different league in terms of PR value.
Fan forums show that fans want Fernando Alonso to return, and most GP fans are convinced that Sebastian Vettel is no age 32.
Renault would be a return for both multiple champions: Alonso grew up on the Enstone racing team, carefully managed by Flavio Briatore, and in 2005 and 2006 became world champion with Renault. Sebastian Vettel has conquered all his 2010-2013 world titles in the Red Bull Racing racers where the Renault engines were.
Former Formula 1 driver Marc Surer said: “For me, Alonso is one of those drivers, you can put them in any car, and they are immediately up to speed. But I don’t believe in a return because Fernando would have to have a car with which he can travel in the front.
Alonso himself said: «I have always said that a return to Formula 1 is possible when the new racing cars arrive. These cars favor better sport, and I would like to drive those racers to compete with my opponents. Delaying the generation of the new model by a year until 2021 is understandable from an economic perspective, but unfortunate from a sports perspective.
That didn’t sound like a comeback. But a lot has happened in the driver’s market since then. Is it just a coincidence that Renault has recently released new wallpapers for computers and cell phones that show Fernando Alonso of all things?
There is a lot to say against Alonso or Vettel at Renault. Fernando is 38 years old and will rarely compete for victories with Renault. Why should you do this to yourself? Alonso will not compete for a sandwich. In his statement on the Ferrari split, Sebastian Vettel made words that smell of resignation. If you don’t want to drive a Ferrari for around ten million euros, why should you do it for Renault? And also for Seb: where is the motivation to fight for midfield with Renault?
Cyril Abiteboul in mid-March on the Vettel theme: «I am not saying no to Vettel because he is a great champion. But I strive to work with tomorrow’s drivers instead of yesterday’s. Please don’t interpret me now that Vettel is a driver from yesterday. Rather, I am saying this because we have our own pilot academy with pilots who could be GP ready in 2021 or 2022. »
