Photo: Renault F1
After retiring from Formula 1 at the end of the 2018 season, it did seem like Fernando Alonso would not be making a comeback to the series, as he turned his attention to other forms of racing. Then again, you never know what fate has got in store for you, so here he is, back for F1 duty starting in 2021!
With Daniel Ricciardo moving to McLaren, Renault had to come up with a replacement for the 2021 F1 season. The team will also be rebranded to Alpine F1, and what better way to celebrate this new setup than by bringing back one of their most successful drivers: Fernando Alonso.
It has been 17 years since Alonso became an official driver for the Renault F1 Team; he was just 22 years old back then and quickly made a name for himself by breaking the record for the youngest Grand Prix winner in Hungary. He managed to achieve four podium finishes in 2003, setting the stage for his rise as a dominant F1 driver.
He went on to win the World Championship twice, in 2005 and 2006, racing against the likes of Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen - whom he will be racing against once again in 2021. Actually, Fernando and Kimi will be two of the oldest drivers on the grid; it's definitely going to be interesting to see how they will stack up against the younger generation.
Renault has decided to celebrate its F1 heritage with a remarkable demonstration run in Abu Dhabi, by linking past, present and future. The team decided to reunite Fernando Alonso with his championship winning 2005 R25 car for a hot lap around the Yas Marina circuit.
Even Lewis Hamilton was shocked to hear the car in action, while he was doing an interview, as he stated: "Oh that sound is just so good, I mean, oh.. it's the greatest sound of a racing car ever.. I hate that they got rid of it" . Spoken like every other F1 fan ever, there's no denying that F1 cars of today sound nowhere near as amazing.
Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal of Renault DP World F1 Team, also had a few words to say: “It’s very emotional to see the R25 run in anger once again, and having Fernando at the wheel is the cherry on the cake. The car-driver partnership was a classic time in F1 and remains one of Renault’s proudest achievements in motorsport. While the car is a symbol of our past achievements, Fernando reflects our strong ambition to keep pushing for more success and recapture those incredible moments and emotions. Of course, any results will now be under the Alpine name but our future success will all be homage to this amazing time in Renault’s F1 history.”
You can watch the 360° video exclusively on F1's official Youtube channel.
It has been 17 years since Alonso became an official driver for the Renault F1 Team; he was just 22 years old back then and quickly made a name for himself by breaking the record for the youngest Grand Prix winner in Hungary. He managed to achieve four podium finishes in 2003, setting the stage for his rise as a dominant F1 driver.
He went on to win the World Championship twice, in 2005 and 2006, racing against the likes of Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen - whom he will be racing against once again in 2021. Actually, Fernando and Kimi will be two of the oldest drivers on the grid; it's definitely going to be interesting to see how they will stack up against the younger generation.
Renault has decided to celebrate its F1 heritage with a remarkable demonstration run in Abu Dhabi, by linking past, present and future. The team decided to reunite Fernando Alonso with his championship winning 2005 R25 car for a hot lap around the Yas Marina circuit.
Even Lewis Hamilton was shocked to hear the car in action, while he was doing an interview, as he stated: "Oh that sound is just so good, I mean, oh.. it's the greatest sound of a racing car ever.. I hate that they got rid of it" . Spoken like every other F1 fan ever, there's no denying that F1 cars of today sound nowhere near as amazing.
Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal of Renault DP World F1 Team, also had a few words to say: “It’s very emotional to see the R25 run in anger once again, and having Fernando at the wheel is the cherry on the cake. The car-driver partnership was a classic time in F1 and remains one of Renault’s proudest achievements in motorsport. While the car is a symbol of our past achievements, Fernando reflects our strong ambition to keep pushing for more success and recapture those incredible moments and emotions. Of course, any results will now be under the Alpine name but our future success will all be homage to this amazing time in Renault’s F1 history.”
You can watch the 360° video exclusively on F1's official Youtube channel.
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