F1: Fernando Alonso Returns to Renault for 2021

2-time Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso will make his return to F1 in 2021, with the team he won his titles for in 2005 and 2006.

The Spaniard last raced in F1 for McLaren in 2018, and had a fitting farewell at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, receiving a guard of honour from then 5-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton and 4-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel on the cooldown lap, before all 3 performed donuts in unison.

Alonso will replace McLaren-bound Daniel Ricciardo at Renault, who in turn is replacing Ferrari-bound Carlos Sainz Jr at McLaren.

Renault didn’t confirm the specific length of Alonso’s contract, saying it was ‘for the upcoming seasons’, however it is believed to at least last for the 2021 and 2022 seasons, for when the new regulations come into play.

Alonso made his F1 debut back in 2001 for the European Minardi F1 Team, but spent the 2002 season on the sidelines as Renault’s F1 Test Driver. He then made his Renault F1 debut in 2003, and remained with the team until the end of 2006, taking both the 2005 and 2006 titles.

He then moved to McLaren for 2007 to partner then rookie Lewis Hamilton, but a rough year between the 2 drivers saw him return to Renault after just 1 year.

His 2nd stint at Renault was less successful, with the Renault cars in 2008 and 2009 in particular firmly in the midfield.

For 2010, Alonso made the move all drivers dream of, and signed for Ferrari, and immediately won his first race for the team at the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix. He finished runner up to Vettel that year, but his most famous year at Ferrari was 2012, where he battled Vettel’s Red Bull for the title in a Ferrari that should’ve been midfield at best, losing out at the final race of the season.

After a poor year for Ferrari in 2014, he made a return to McLaren for 2015, partnering fellow World Champion Jenson Button in the return of the McLaren-Honda alliance, with the hope that McLaren can return to winning ways like before with Honda engines.

However this was not to be. Alonso totaled just 132 points in 4 years at McLaren-Honda/Renault, 29 less than he scored in 2014 in an underperforming Ferrari. Eventually, his frustration overtook him and Alonso decided to leave the sport after 2018, to pursue wins in the Indy 500 and Le Mans 24hrs in order to become just the 2nd ever driver to take the Triple Crown of Motorsport.

In 2018, he achieved the Le Mans victory, even before leaving McLaren. And if that wasn’t enough, he won the 2019 Le Mans and the 2018/19 WEC Championship. His Indy 500 attempts were less successful however.

His first attempt came in 2017 with a McLaren entered Andretti car, and so far this was his most successful – Alonso lead a fair amount of the race, and looked in contention to win before his ironically Honda engine failed, putting him out of the race.

A second attempt came in 2019, this time with a McLaren entered Carlin. However, McLaren and Carlin suffered an embarrassment, with none of the Carlin cars qualifying for the race, including Alonso’s McLaren.

2020 looks to be a better year for McLaren and Alonso in IndyCar – McLaren have a full-time team with Oliver Askew and Pato O’Ward, and will enter a third car for Alonso in the delayed Indy 500.