Renault to announce Ricciardo's 2021 replacement on Wednesday - reports

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Renault is expected to announce who will fill the seat vacated by Daniel Ricciardo for 2021 on Wednesday, according to reports.

Team boss at the French manufacturer, Cyril Abiteboul, has previously said he will his time to choose the team's second driver for next year.

But various sources claimed on Tuesday that the Renault chief informed team personnel in Austria this past weekend that a decision has been made and official confirmation was imminent.

Furthermore, it is claimed he revealed the new 2021 driver has previously worked for the team.

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If so, that does appear to rule out the two Renault juniors currently in F2, Guanyu Zhou and Christian Lundgaard

This despite Zhou's impressive pace in Austria with a dominant pole before engine issues saw him retire from the lead in the feature race, and Lundgaard having a solid weekend with two points finishes.

It also rules out Sebastian Vettel, who is of course without a seat having been dropped by Ferrari.

What it has done is instantly led to the assumption that Fernando Alonso is poised to make his return at the team where he won two world titles in 2005 and 2006.

Over the weekend, Abiteboul once again confirmed the 38-year-old is an option being considered and his would-be teammate Esteban Ocon also talked up the opportunity to partner the Spaniard.

However, there does remain the lingering question over whether Alonso would be interested in racing at what is still a midfield team, despite showing some improvements in Austria.

Then there's also the matter of salary, although this is thought to be a lesser hurdle to overcome.

Another name is Nico Hulkenberg, who only left Renault at the end of last year and hasn't ruled out making a comeback.

The German might also be a less disruptive choice than Alonso, though again it's arguable if he really wants to find himself back at a team where wins are not an option.

Ultimately, it seems we only have to wait 24 hours to find out!

 

         

 

 

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