Yeah they said they'd want him if they could give him the car so I don't see why that wouldn't still stand but next year might be too early for them sure, so he may well not get an offer but if they felt they could give a competitive car I see no reason or have heard no reason why Renault would change their mind and not want him.Phil wrote: ↑01 Jul 2018, 01:32If they really wanted him, they would have taken him the year before when, as you said, they publicly said “thanks, but no thanks”.
Alonso has been “available” since 2017 and during that time, both Ferrari seats were available upon Kimi’s and Vettel’s renewal, a seat at Mercedes on two occasions when Rosberg unexpectetly quit and on Bottas renewal. Even Hamilton’s renewal was open. Renault had an opening too, when they wanted Sainz. Did Alonso get any of those seats? No, because in all reality, no one wanted him enough to care.
He may be the best or the most gifted driver on the market, but he is no treath to anyone. And he is old. Too old, to sign for a team that is looking at a long term goal. Renault realistically will not be fighting for a WDC next year. They are continually bettering themselves, building up a winning team. That takes time, experience, continuity. Why in gods name would they sign a driver who is just in the game to win a WDC for himself and probably off and out of F1 soon? They are already pretty much best of the rest with two fine drivers.
If anything, my take is that they’d sooner take Ricciardo, if he wanted that seat. If Ricciardo stays at Redbull, then perhaps the big question is if they can retain Sainz who is only on loan to Renault. It could well be, that RB want Sainz back to replace Hartley at TR, but i am not sure Sainz would want that. The question is, if Sainz can be bought out. Assuming he is too expensive, why and how would they afford Alonso, a likely even more expensive driver?
The only place i can see Alonso going is out of F1. He has become a journey man. He left McLaren and the potential to win the 2008 championship. He then went to Ferrari where he left again in 2014, again, perhaps missing the longterm game and a potential winning car. If he moves back to Renault, what is there to gain? He wont win a championship there either. Renault, i am sure, knows this too. Better to invest in good, hungry younger drivers that are part of their longterm goal. Signing am Alonso just bears the risk that he’ll leave anyway if the team isnt competitive enough or that he’ll move on if suddenly a better team comes along (assuming they’d want him).
Ferrari and Mercedes situation is different, they haven't shown any interest in upgrading on Kimi and Bottas, he can't force them to put two top drivers in the same team, Dan didn't get a look in either.
Not sure you can seriously blame no long term thinking for leaving Ferrari. I can't think of one single top driver who should or would wait 8 or 9 years for the quickest car, that's just more Alonso being held to an impossible standard the others wouldn't be. One season of failure was enough for some others to look elsewhere.
