Breaking news
Formula 1
Renault: Alonso 2018 return would be wrong timing
Renault Sport F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul says that 2018 will be too early for the team to be a possible home for Fernando Alonso, because it won't be able to meet the former world champion's expectations.
Adam Cooper
Edited: Aug 29, 2017, 10:50 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Although Renault is improving and had the fourth most competitive car at Spa last weekend, Abiteboul believes that the team won't make a big enough step next year to satisfy Alonso.
As such, he fears a repeat of the frustrations that the Spanish driver has expressed with Honda, something that would obviously generate negative publicity
Alonso, who drove for the Enstone team in from 2003 to 2006 before returning for a second stint in 2008-09, says that he will make up his mind about his future in September.
Ironically, his future at McLaren appears to hinge on the team's ability to ditch Honda power units and acquire a customer Renault supply.
"My answer on Fernando will always be the same," Abiteboul told Motorsport.com. "First, he is part of a great team which I think is in the middle of a number of strategy considerations.
"Secondly, I think he has to obviously look at his timing, and look at other teams' timing. Things have to be compatible, so that it can be a successful association, and not just because it has been a successful association in the past.
"It's the future that we're worried about. He has his dynamic, I think he has urgency to be in a position to be fighting for championships again.
"We know that it's going to take us a bit of time to have a car that can offer that, so clearly the one thing that I would not want is to have a frustrated Fernando in a Renault car, that's for sure."
Sergio Perez, Carlos Sainz, Esteban Ocon and Robert Kubica are some of the names that have been linked to the second Renault seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg for 2018.
Abiteboul has made it clear that Renault still needs further answers regarding Kubica's prospects of racing in F1 again.
However, that assessment remains on hold due to the lack of opportunities to conduct further tests within the season, as FP1 sessions represent the Pole's only chance to drive before the post-Abu Dhabi GP test.
"If we had no restrictions from the regulations there is a lot that we could do, by organising more testing, but it's exactly the same for a number of young drivers to try to make it into F1, there is a restriction in place, and it's not going to change for Robert.
"So we will have to see if the timing of what we have to do with him can work with the timing of the rest of the paddock, which is moving.
"There have been a number of announcements, and I'm sure there will be more announcements to come in the next two or three weeks, and we have to be part of that train."
Abiteboul denied that Kubica was in any way a back-up plan for Renault.
"I will never call Robert a Plan B or Plan C. The main question is can he race again in F1? If the answer was a straightforward 'Yes,' you would probably not be asking me that question. But unfortunately it is not clear yet.
"A lot of people can be interesting. The fact that our car has become more or less the fourth car on the grid creates even more opportunities for us than we were maybe initially expecting.
"We look more attractive, so the time is playing with us. We have a bit more time, so we want to be sensible, and look at all the opportunities."
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Verstappen: I'd prefer engines to blow up than shut down
Next article Williams 2018 car to feature "substantial changes" - Lowe
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Adam Cooper
RB: Tsunoda “mentally on a different level” in 2024
Formula 1
Formula 1
Japanese GP
Apr 10, 2024
RB: Tsunoda “mentally on a different level” in 2024
Andretti planning F2 and F3 entries to promote US talent to F1 team
Formula 1
Formula 1 Apr 10, 2024
Andretti planning F2 and F3 entries to promote US talent to F1 team
Andretti F1 team formally opens new Silverstone facility
Formula 1
Formula 1 Apr 10, 2024
Andretti F1 team formally opens new Silverstone facility
More from
Fernando Alonso
F1 driver contracts: How long is each driver tied down for?
Formula 1
Formula 1 1 d
F1 driver contracts: How long is each driver tied down for?
Who slept worst last night: Fernando Alonso
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
5 d
Who slept worst last night: Fernando Alonso
More from
Renault F1 Team
Does Daniel Ricciardo regret leaving Red Bull for Renault?
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
16 d
Does Daniel Ricciardo regret leaving Red Bull for Renault?
On this day: Fernando Alonso wins the world title, Michael Schumacher retires from F1
Formula 1
Formula 1
Brazilian GP
23 d
On this day: Fernando Alonso wins the world title, Michael Schumacher retires from F1
You Ask The Questions: Robert Kubica
Formula 1
You Ask The Questions: Robert Kubica
Latest news
The ten closest finishes from the 2026 NASCAR season
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup 8 h
The ten closest finishes from the 2026 NASCAR season
‘Lewis suspected a conspiracy’ – Nico Rosberg explains how Lewis Hamilton F1 rivalry went awry at Mercedes
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1 9 h
‘Lewis suspected a conspiracy’ – Nico Rosberg explains how Lewis Hamilton F1 rivalry went awry at Mercedes
BMW "proud of what we achieved" after securing runner-up in 2026 WEC
WEC
WEC WEC
Monza
10 h
BMW "proud of what we achieved" after securing runner-up in 2026 WEC
The numbers that reveal how sprint races have turned the MotoGP title fight upside down
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Qatar GP
12 h
The numbers that reveal how sprint races have turned the MotoGP title fight upside down
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe