The Spaniard is making a third attempt at Indy with McLaren's new full-time team at the rescheduled Brickyard race in August. Redknapp: Jose's Spurs a tough watch | Keane: Give him time, FREE LIVE GOLF: Amen Corner at The Masters, Lingard double as West Ham hold on to go fourth, Hits & Misses: Spurs slip, Man Utd power clear, Fernando Alonso to return to F1 with Renault for 2021 season. Renault, not McLaren, could be Alonso’s 2021 F1 team. "Fernando is pretty hot to handle, he's a tough cookie to have around, but I think he'll come back highly motivated and it's going to be fascinating. 19 May 2020 by Leopold. Alonso, one of the most successful, determined yet controversial stars of recent F1 history, will partner Esteban Ocon in 2021 with Ricciardo already signed by McLaren. F1. Kimi Raikkonen is currently F1's oldest driver at 40, with the Finn taking his own two-year F1 'sabbatical' earlier in his career. Fernando Alonso received his first go-kart when he was three after his sister didn't want it and was granted a racing license for it two years later. Alonso left McLaren at the end of 2018 after four disappointing and often-turbulent seasons and walked away from the F1 grid to pursue other racing disciplines, including the Indianapolis 500 and World Endurance Championship - where he became a world champion again, with Toyota. Tap to unmute. Renault Formula 1 director Marcin Budkowski believes Fernando Alonso will still be at a disadvantage on his F1 return in 2021, despite being able to test the team's RS20 at Abu Dhabi Twenty months after waving goodbye to Formula 1, it's been confirmed that double world champion Fernando Alonso will make a sensational racing return with Renault for 2021, partnering Esteban Ocon. Alonso himself was the first to say that moments like those are not likely to happen right away on race day as he returns to F1 after a two-year absence. Sky F1's Martin Brundle reacts to the breaking news that Fernando Alonso is set to return to the sport with Renault in 2021. His performances led to Minardi signing him as their test driver for the 2000 season. These performances encouraged various teams to offer him a seat for 2002. Alonso admits F1 comeback for 2021 possible. The Italian team never provided him with the best car on the grid, but he came close to adding to his two titles nonetheless, missing out at the final race twice. A win at Indianapolis would mean Alonso becomes just the second driver after Graham Hill to claim the 'Triple Crown' of victories at the Monaco GP, Le Mans 24 Hours and Indy 500. Despite this, he still managed one win, 10 podiums and 257 points. The move would prove to spell the end of his time in F1 competing for titles as the cars provided didn't have the pace or reliability to consistently fight for points, let alone wins. The iconic F1 driver has inked a deal with Renault and will be joining Esteban Ocon in the paddock. Kimi Raikkonen soon became Alonso's biggest challenger, with his McLaren quicker than the Renault. 2011 saw Vettel and his team assert their dominance on the sport, with Ferrari failing to give Alonso a car capable of challenging them. Despite interest from Ferrari, he chose to stay at Renault for 2006. He turned them down to become Renault's test driver in the hope that it would lead to a seat at the French team for 2003 and beyond. Alonso has been signed on a two-year contract until 2022. Renault declined to comment when contacted by Sky Sports. Fernando Alonso set for 2021 F1 return at Renault 'Detoxed' Alonso ready for F1 return, says Briatore Following his title successes, Alonso quit to join McLaren in 2007 but his relationship there turned sour and he returned to Renault for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. After it escalated to the point where he and his agent threatened to release emails that exposed what became known as 'Spygate', McLaren agreed to allow him to leave at the end of the season. The Spaniard will become the first driver to have three separate stints with a single Formula 1 team, having raced for Renault between 2003-06 (when he won two world titles), 08-09 and now from 2021 … He continued to show his talent, often out driving the car to finish as high as P5, but had grown tired of driving such poor machinery by the time he left the grid in 2018. F1 Show your support for your favourite F1 driver wherever you are with this Alpine Alonso t-shirt. He also made his Dakar Rally debut in 2020, and said he plans to return to both Indy and Dakar in the future. Despite this, a strategy error from his team resulted in him being stuck behind Vitaly Petrov in P7. Fernando Alonso would “most likely” return to the Formula 1 grid with Renault, not McLaren; that’s according to F1 pundit Martin Brundle. Jul.22 - Fernando Alonso says he will "give it my all" in Formula 1 next year even though he knows he will not have a winning Renault. He took it, finishing in P3, and ended the season with seven victories and 133 points, 21 clear of the Finn. He impressed enough to be given a race seat for 2001 and managed to out-perform team-mate Tarso Marques. However, he'd only stay for one. News. In 2018, during his final season in F1, he ranked number 39 on Forbes' list of highest-paid athletes, making around $33million (£24.3m). The cars lacked pace and reliability and, despite his best efforts, Alonso never managed to finish higher than P5. But he has never fully shut the door on an F1 comeback, despite turning 39 later this month and already competing in more than 300 grands prix since his debut aged 19 with Minardi in 2001. Fernando Alonso is set to return to Formula 1 with Renault next year. In what will be the two-time F1 champion’s third stint with the Enstone team, Alonso’s return comes after two years on the sidelines following several unsuccessful title challenges in the early 2010s and a tough period with McLaren. He has no children, listing that among the sacrifices he made for his Formula 1 career in a 2018 FIA press conference. But that said, expect the Spaniard to invest full commitment in piloting the A521 across the finish line to achieve some more than decent results. Therefore, Alonso will be wary of both aspects heading into the 2021 F1 season. He made a decent start to life there, leading the Championship after two races courtesy of P2 and P1 finishes. Despite failing to add to his victory in 2004, Alonso enjoyed another successful season, improving on his points total and finishing position. He does turn 39 on the 29th of this month and we've got a lot of young kids in there at the moment in their early 20s getting the job done. Two disappointing years at Renault followed, with the Spaniard only picking up two victories. Fernando Alonso knows that winning races in 2021 is "impossible", according to Alpine team advisor Alain Prost. The Spaniard was forced to retire in the 34 MOTOGP. Red Bull was faster again in 2012, as was McLaren, but Alonso somehow managed to take the fight to Vettel. Alonso stated when he left F1 at the end of 2018 he would be interested in returning to the sport once its new regulations, originally planned for 2021, came into force. Renault Formula 1 director Marcin Budkowski believes Fernando Alonso will still be at a disadvantage on his F1 return in 2021, despite being able to test the team's RS20 at Abu Dhabi. Watch later. — Formula 1 (@F1) March 25, 2021. Alonso's long-time manager and mentor Flavio Briatore has told the Italian news agency Adnkronos that the returning Spaniard was "disappointed" with the start of his comeback year. Wonder how he will do against the new kids in town at 39 yrs old. Such consistency gave Alonso the chance to become the youngest World Champion ever in Brazil. The highlight of the season came in Hungary, where he secured his first win, becoming F1's youngest ever victor. Alonso joined Formula 1 when he became a test driver for Minardi for the 2000 season. Renault started the 2020 season last weekend struggling at the bottom of the top 10, is unlikely to be more than fighting for best of the rest again in 2021. From there Alonso had an unsuccessful and frustrating second spell at McLaren-Honda between 2015-18. Fernando Alonso has admitted that he's still getting back up to speed in Formula 1 after making his return from a two-year hiatus. He got himself back into title contention with a move to Ferrari in 2010. It is understood that an official announcement confirming the news is set for Wednesday. Twenty-months after announcing his retirement from the sport, iconic driver Fernando Alonso has confirmed his return to Formula 1 in 2021. "He will certainly drive the wheels off it, but whether the car is fast enough and whether he's still got the pace to match the youngsters now remains to be seen. 2005 was the season though where Alonso established himself as one of the best around with his first title. Showcasing team and sponsor details, tricolour flag colouring on the sleeve and Alonso's name and driver number '14' on the back, this is a must-have for Alpine team supporters. After the 2014 season, in which Ferrari built a car rarely quick enough for podiums, Alonso left for McLaren, who were entering the first year of a new partnership with Honda. Didn’t honestly think I would have the chance to speak with Fernando on the F1 grid again as a driver. In fact, Honda still won't have anything to do with him following the famous "GP2 engine" rant at the 2015 Japanese Grand Prix. F1 Baku City 2021. The Spaniard became the sport's youngest pole-sitter at the Malaysian Grand Prix and then took a P2 finish in his home race. Fernando Alonso is set to return to Formula 1 as Daniel Ricciardo's replacement at Renault for the 2021 season. The new Formula 1 season is underway in dramatic style on Sky Sports F1 and continues this week with the second race at the Red Bull Ring - the Styrian GP. The Spaniard is a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF and supports the Sightsavers International foundation, which works to combat blindness in developing countries. Fernando Alonso has revealed he will require further surgery on the broken jaw he suffered in a cycling accident, but not until after the 2021 F1 season. Alongside this, he also raced in the Formula 3000 Championship. V8. He took P2 once again in 2013 with two wins and 242 points as Red Bull enjoyed their most dominant season yet. The year before, they put him at number 77 in their list of highest-paid celebrities. The two-time world champion is ending his sabbatical in 2021, but he insists that his main focus for now is the Indy 500. Following his impressive Formula 1 debut in Bahrain, Yuki Tsunoda has explained how driving with veteran Fernando Alonso helped him improve his car's performance during the ra ... F1 2021… "I have been watching the F1 races and looking ahead to Indianapolis, which is my challenge this year," the Spaniard is quoted by Marca. Alonso has won 32 grands prix across three teams - Renault, McLaren and Ferrari - but found himself thwarted in attempts to win a third world crown, coming within a handful of points in each of 2007, 2010 and 2012. Alonso, who stepped away from F1 at the end of 2018, said he would decide whether to return in 2021 - when he will be 39 - after completing his Indy programme next year. The first championship he competed in was the 1999 Euro Open by Nissan. His ability led to him driving for top teams, receiving highly lucrative contracts from both them and various sponsors. Fernando Alonso is a Formula 1 driver from Oviedo, Spain and a two-time Formula 1 World Champion. Shopping. After two seasons off the grid, the 38-year-old Alonso will rejoin Renault for a third stint at the Enstone team where he won his two world titles in 2005-2006. Back in February, Fernando Alonso told Sky Sports that he would make a decision about any F1 return during the summer, Fernando Alonso celebrating his second world title in 2006 after beating Michael Schumacher to the crown, After a tumultuous single season at McLaren in 2007, Alonso returned to Renault for two more years but, one or two highlights aside, the second spell failed to deliver like the first, Mourinho enraged by Solskjaer's Son comments, Rodgers 'bitterly disappointed' over Leicester trio's Covid breach, Tottenham condemn racist abuse of Son after Man Utd defeat.