Fernando & Flavio,- Back In Each Other's Arms?

[CVT]

After the no cash penalty vs. Renault in the spying case vs. McLaren. The F1 world is abuzz with Alonso signing a 2/3-year deal with Renault, with a get-out clause in 12 months.

Whew! Rich guy!

from http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Renault give Alsonso £70million deal on his return
by JONATHAN McEVOY - More by this author » Last updated at 22:13pm on 9th December 2007

Comments Comments
Fernando Alonso will be unveiled as a Renault driver in the next 48 hours, ending his brief period of unemployment with a £10million-a-year pay rise.

The Spaniard has agreed a massive three-year deal worth up to £70m, though a get-out clause potentially allows him to walk away in 12 months.

It is a pleasing outcome for Alonso, who maintains his status as the secondhighest earner on the grid behind Ferrari's world champion, Kimi Raikkonen, five weeks after being dismissed by McLaren.

Alonso has received assurances that he will be granted outright No 1 status on his return to the French manufacturers, given how McLaren's policy of equality between him and Lewis Hamilton was the source of bitter infighting last season.

Alonso's signing follows last week's World Motor Sport Council decision not to penalise Renault for spying on McLaren. He is likely to be partnered by rookie Nelson Piquet Jnr, the 22-year-old son of Brazil's three-time world champion.

With Alonso's future resolved, the rest of the driver market can finally slot into place. It leaves last year's Renault drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Giancarlo Fisichella looking for a seat, possibly at Toyota, who have booted out Ralf Schumacher.

Kovalainen has also been touted as Hamilton's next team-mate. He is the preferred choice of the Hamilton camp and is seen as a good team player who would not cause undue disturbance in the way the temperamental Alonso did.

His hopes of securing the dream move have been boosted by the news that Nico Rosberg, McLaren's top target, has signed a contract extension at Williams.

McLaren were prepared to hand him a 10-fold rise to £5m per year to tempt him but Rosberg's employers have dug deep into their own pockets.

He said: "Williams have made me an attractive, far better offer with a new contract up to the end of 2009 and I decided to accept it. For Williams, the question of letting me go never came up."

Kovalainenwould appear to be in a two-way fight with McLaren's experienced test driver Pedro de la Rosa. A veteran of 72 grands prix over eight years, he represents the safe option and is popular within the team.

As a Spaniard, he would also satisfy several of McLaren's sponsors, who stand to lose out from Alonso's departure.

De la Rosa's fellow test driver, Gary Paffett, has also been linked with the race seat, but his chances are remote.

4707:santas:

[kimpOy]

ayos to... renault vs ferrari vs mclaren

[Eismann]

Looking forward to 2008 season...this will be Ferrari vs. Renault anew!

[allen_the_great]

Ayos 'to! With Alonso back in harness, Renault will most likely be back to being a serious contender for the upcoming season's championship. Yehey! Go ALONSO!

[CVT]

It is now official,- Alonso and Piquet Jr. will drive for Renault F1 in 2008...

It will be an interesting year for Formula1 Racing....

from http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Alonso returns to Renault as No 1 driver for 2008

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

By David Tremayne

Almost two years to the day he informed team principal Flavio Briatore that he would be leaving to join McLaren-Mercedes for 2007, the former world champion Fernando Alonso was confirmed yesterday as the Renault team's lead driver for 2008.

The announcement follows weeks of speculation, and last week's decision by the World Motor Sport Council in Monaco not to apply any penalty to the team even though they were deemed to have been in possession of intellectual property stolen (from McLaren).

Alonso's return is bad news for Renault's 2007 drivers, Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen. The former is in the frame at Force India, where Tonio Liuzzi is favourite to get the nod over a driver seen to be well past his best, while following the news that Nico Rosberg has inked a new deal with Williams, Kovalainen remains a strong potential candidate for the McLaren seat alongside Lewis Hamilton.

Alonso will thus be partnered by Nelson Piquet Jnr, 22, son of the former triple champion, with the Frenchman Romain Grosjean, the 2007 F3 Euroseries champion, taking over the Brazilian's testing role.

"Fernando and Nelsinho [Piquet Jnr] will form one of the most exciting driver line-ups of 2008," Briatore said. "We are delighted to be welcoming Fernando back home to the team where he enjoyed his greatest success. His abilities as a driver and a team leader are well known, and we look forward to forging another strong partnership. He knows the team well and how we operate; he will feel comfortable straight away in this environment."

"I am delighted to be returning to Renault," Alonso, 26, said. "This is the team where I grew up as a driver in Formula One. Now it is time for us to begin a new chapter together. I am very excited about working with this great team once more, and confident that together we can move back to the front of the field. Renault had a difficult year in 2007, but I know that the team have real strength in depth."

No term for Alonso's new contract has been given, but it is thought to be for one year only as sources are adamant he has a Ferrari contract from 2009. Speaking of the delay while negotiations continued, he said: "The first three weeks of November, I was on a much-needed vacation during which I disconnected from Formula One. The decision to choose a team did not take more than a week, as me and the people close to me were clear about what we wanted.

"To tell you the truth, we do know it's not easy. I'm one of the 22 privileged people who get to drive a Formula One car each year and I'm even more privileged to be one of those who can afford to leave one great team and end up in another great team. The decision hasn't been an easy one to make. I chose Renault in the end considering their commitment to the sport and because of their strong track record," Alonso added.

4808:santa:

[CVT]

Seat swap lang pala ang nangyari kina HK at FA.....

HK is going to McLaren.....

Kovalainen joins Hamilton at McLaren

Agence France-Presse

LONDON - Finland's Heikki Kovalainen will race alongside Lewis Hamilton at Formula One team McLaren from next season, the team announced on Friday.

Kovalainen, who was with Renault last season, replaces two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who left McLaren last month after suffering an often strained relationship with the team in 2007.

Alonso has moved in the opposite direction, returning to Renault with whom he won his two world titles in 2005 and 2006.

Kovalainen, 26, joins McLaren on what has been described as a "long-term contract" and will commence his driving duties with the team in early January.

4808:santa:

[squala]

The Alonso-Kovalainen change isn't exactly a direct swap. Why is Flavio so obsessed with the Spaniard anyway? The guy has left them and after an unexpected performance from Hammy, he left McLaren and probably just didn't have a choice but rejoin his old team. Fernando's talent is great but not one-in-a-million. Montoya is as good or even better. Massa can also do what he can.

[jeff1101]

Fernando's talent is great but not one-in-a-million. Montoya is as good or even better. Massa can also do what he can.

Alonso is a 2 time world champion and has nothing to prove. Cant say the same for Montoya and Massa. Montoya had his day in F1 and what has he showed for it??? Nothing!!!

[CVT]

Alonso is a 2 time world champion and has nothing to prove. Cant say the same for Montoya and Massa. Montoya had his day in F1 and what has he showed for it??? Nothing!!!

Agree here. FA is championship-caliber in his driving skills.

FM may not be far behind but he needs to improve a lot in his consistency. Also, his driving skills on wet weather conditions....

JPM was exciting. But that's just about it.

5202:threadmil: