Last weekend at Spa it was Red Bull and now Fernando Alonso claims he rejected the chance to join Renault in 2019.
The Spaniard confirmed during the summer break that he will be leaving the Formula 1 grid at the end of the season and is set to race in IndyCar, although still unconfirmed.
Before he does though, the double world champion appears to be making it clear he wasn’t short of options to remain next season, including at the team where he won his two world titles in 2005 and 2006.
“I had the possibility of joining Renault and going back to my two championship team having my last years with my second family there,” Alonso told Sky Sports F1.
“But it was difficult to get the challenge there, fighting for the top six or top ten, compared to the challenges l can get outside of F1.
“It’s no secret that the triple crown is attractive to me. Those are a little bit more attractive at the moment.”
In response, Renault Sport managing director Cyril Abiteboul suggested the rejection had in fact been the other way around.
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“Frankly, despite the fact that I have huge respect for Fernando, who is probably one of the best drivers in the world, the answer is no,” he told Crash.Net.
“We could feel that he is at the point in his career where he wants a car that is immediately capable of going in for wins. That’s what he’s expecting, or there is going to be more frustration. We are not in that position.
“We need to have drivers who can understand the project, who can buy into a support the project on a long-term basis. I don’t think this is what Fernando was looking for. So the short answer is no.”
