Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel have both been warned off moving to Renault next season.
The French manufacturer has been left with an empty seat for 2021 following the shuffle which will see Carlos Sainz join Ferrari and Daniel Ricciardo move to McLaren.
Since then, speculation has been growing that Alonso could have even gone as far as signing a pre-agreement with Renault for next year, but former teammate Jenson Button doesn’t think the Spaniard would fancy the long-haul Renault trip.
“I think if Renault were close to the front and he could see that in 2021 or 2022, there are chances of podiums and wins, I think he would jump at the chance if he had the option,” the 2009 F1 champion told Sky Sports.
“But I think it’s going to be a longer process than that if they do get to the front. It’s probably going to be four-plus years. He doesn’t have that time, and he’s not willing to put in that time I don’t think.
“I’m just not sure this is the right opportunity for him. I think if he was able to get into one of the top three teams, of course, he would jump at the chance because he can show his speed.
“He hasn’t lost it at 38 years old, but building a team again for three or four years? I don’t think that’s what Fernando is looking for.”
Similarly, Vettel is also now considering his options having mutually agreed to leave Ferrari, but Martin Brundle is equally pessimistic about the team’s outlook.
“I do know Sebastian was talking to at least one team, so clearly retirement is not absolutely on his mind,” he revealed on Sky Sports.
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“He’s got to have a chance at Renault if he wants, that’s a works team. But you’d worry going into the future.
“Renault will be lone rangers, they’ll be the only people using Renault engines as of 2021.”
There’s also now new speculation over the future of the French manufacturer in F1 with Reuters reporting cuts of 2.2bn Euros are set to be announced through factory closures and other measures, potentially including the F1 team.