The news of Alonso’s return to the team where he enjoyed his most successful years in Formula 1 had been brewing for a few months now. Unfortunately, the new spy saga which implicated Renault for having confidential McLaren information complicated any new deals from materializing.
However, now that the IGN Renault Formula 1 team have escaped penalty from an infringement of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code, Alonso and Renault have made their reunion official. The new deal makes Alonso the top-earner among active Formula 1 drivers eclipsing even Raikkonen’s salary with Ferrari.
Renault has also confirmed 22 year-old Nelson Piquet Jr., son of the three-time F1 champion Nelson Piquet (1981, ’83, and ’87), the second driver of the team. The Brazilian rookie was the team’s test driver for the 2007 season and was also a GP2 runner-up for the 2006 season.
The confirmation of Piquet as second driver for Renault has left Heikki Kovalainen without a confirmed seat for the 2008 season. Kovalainen impressed in his season debut for Renault during the 2007 season as he out-performed his veteran teammate Giancarlo Fisichella.
However, part of Alonso’s requirement before signing the new contract was being granted an uncontested number 1 status. Kovalainen on the other hand was requesting equal status in case Alonso joined the team. Renault chose to honor the demands of Alonso and hence decided to sign Piquet over Kovalainen thus putting a premature end to the Finn’s contract for the French based team.
Renault’s confirmation of their new driver line-up has presented some interesting scenarios for the next season. At the moment. McLaren still has yet to confirm a driver that will partner Lewis Hamilton. Originally, McLaren wanted a deal for WillIams’ rising star (who happens to also be a son of a former F1 champion Keke Rosberg) Nico Rosberg. Williams however signed Rosberg to a new contract that decimated any possibility for McLaren procuring the young driver
Now that Renault already has an official line-up for 2008, it becomes even more tempting to speculate the possible new McLaren recruit. The drivers that are now available for the vacancy at McLaren were McLaren’s test driver Pedro De la Rosa, former Toyota driver Ralf Schumacher, former Renault drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen and Adrian Sutil.
Given McLaren’s admitted preference for Nico Rosberg, it is logical to assume that Heikki Kovalainen becomes the best candidate for filling the vacant McLaren seat. Talent-wise, Kovalainen and Rosberg are considered to be at par as both drivers delivered for their respective teams for the 2007 season. Whereas drivers like Fisichella and Ralf Schumacher are coming off of disappointing performances. Chances are, Ralf, Fisichella and Sutil will be battling for the two vacant seats in Force India Formula 1 team.
If McLaren does sign Kovalainen, the Finn would most likely demand equal status with Lewis Hamilton which may present yet another rivalry for both drivers not new to competing against each other as they have done so in GP2.
