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Eyes on Barrichello as Alonso commits to Renault
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-11-07 09:30

LONDON: Fernando Alonso's decision on Wednesday to stick with Renault for two more seasons ended a long-running Formula One saga, at least until a vacancy at Ferrari comes up.

 

With title runner-up Felipe Massa and 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen under contract to Ferrari until the end of 2010, and McLaren no longer an option after a falling out last year, Renault always looked like being Alonso's best near-term bet.

The rules are changing significantly next year and moving to any team, other than the top two, at such a time carries an element of risk.

Honda, who made no secret of their desire to sign the double world champion, would have represented too big a gamble with the struggling Japanese team scoring a meagre 14 points this season compared to Renault's 80.

Former champions Renault, after a difficult start, have provided Alonso with a car good enough to win two races this year and a promise to get back to where they once were.

A two-year extension, with the team that nurtured him and took him to his two titles, has the added appeal of leaving the Spaniard free to take advantage of any opportunity to jump to Ferrari in 2011.

BMW-Sauber, aiming for a championship challenge next season after finishing third overall, might have been an alternative for the next two years but they had already confirmed Poland's Robert Kubica and Germany's Nick Heidfeld for 2009.

McLaren have new world champion Lewis Hamilton on a long-term deal with Finland's Heikki Kovalainen confirmed for 2009.

Future settled

With Alonso's future settled, along with most of the teams' lineups, the main spotlight turns on the fate of Brazilian Rubens Barrichello at Honda and Toro Rosso's choice of drivers.

Honda, run by former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn who worked with Barrichello at the Italian team, have yet to confirm their 2009 pairing.

Barrichello, the most experienced driver F1 has seen with 270 starts, wants to stay on but knows his career is on hold while Honda try out potential replacements such as Bruno Senna, nephew of the late Brazilian triple champion Ayrton.

Senna, 25, is due to test at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya later this month.

"We want to look at some new guys," Honda team chief executive Nick Fry said at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix.

"I think it is important that we bring some fresh blood into F1. There are some good guys out there and we want to try them out."

Barrichello has also been sniffing out the possibilities at Ferrari-powered Toro Rosso, where there are still two potential vacancies.

France's Sebastien Bourdais, a rookie with Toro Rosso this year, is waiting to hear if he is to have a second season at a team that has lost German race-winner Sebastian Vettel to big sister Red Bull Racing.

Switzerland's Sebastian Buemi, the Red Bull test driver, could be in line for the other seat while Japan's Takuma Sato is also a contender.

Agencies