Daniel Ricciardo believes age will be just a number for Fernando Alonso upon his return to Formula 1 next year.
At 39, the double world champion will replace the Australian at Renault for 2021 and 2022, following two years off the grid competing in various events.
His most recent was the Indianapolis 500 last Sunday, where he finished a lowly 21st after clutch problems.
But Ricciardo won’t listen to any suggestions that Alonso, who could be the oldest driver next season if Kimi Raikkonen retires, might have lost a step.
“Don’t let anyone wait for an old man,” he told Spain’s AS. “I’ll wait for a very fast Fernando.
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“I wasn’t really sure what he would do. I know he’s been very busy in a lot of different categories since leaving Formula 1.
“I wasn’t sure if he still wanted to get back into Formula 1, but it seems he does.
“In his last year here he left with a perfect qualifying record (21-0), he was still driving amazingly and Stoffel Vandoorne is not just anybody.
“He has the talent to push the car to its fullest, he knows that.
“An old Fernando, I wait for a prepared and very fast Fernando.”
The last time Alonso drove an F1 car was April 2019, testing for McLaren in Bahrain. And with the cars pretty much unchanged since then, returning to the grid should be like a duck to water for the Spaniard.