Two days ago Renault sent the F1 world into a frenzy by announcing the signing of Fernando Alonso for 2021. The F1 legend hailing from Spain is set to replace the McLaren bound Daniel Ricciardo for the next season.
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The Spaniard returns to the sport after a three-year-long hiatus. This begs the question of whether Alonso will get some time behind the wheel of the current Renault car during free practice sessions, to get back up to speed.
Daniel Ricciardo has a simple answer to that question. A resounding ‘NO’.
Daniel Ricciardo unwilling to make sacrifices for Fernando Alonso
Speaking to ‘The Race,’ the Australian made it very clear that he wouldn’t be sacrificing any of his time behind the RS20. He said, “He doesn’t need any help. It didn’t look like he slowed down at all with age. His last season in F1 was a pretty strong one, with everything I heard and saw.
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Daniel Ricciardo
“Obviously, the results weren’t always there but as far as getting the most of the car, I think that was pretty evident that he was. So I don’t think he needs any help.
“I don’t know if he’ll be trackside at a few races or what, as far as him sitting in on meetings and giving feedback, absolutely no worries. But I’ll do as much driving as I can.”
However, it’s worth remembering that Fernando Alonso hasn’t been inactive since his last F1 race. The Spaniard had a very successful stint in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Over there, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice.
Currently, he is focused on winning the Indy 500 this year, if he does so, it will complete the highly elusive ‘Triple-Crown’ in motorsport.
So Alonso shouldn’t be too rusty. In fact, next year’s pre-season should be enough to get an experienced driver like Fernando, back to grips with F1 racing.
As for Ricciardo, he’ll be looking to open his point tally this weekend. The Australian had looked impressive during the previous weekend.
But, unfortunately, his race was cut short due to a cooling problem with the car. He’ll be in the thick of the midfield battle once again and will be looking to come out on top.
