Titch
03-11-2007, 07:15 PM
Quote from itv.com
Renault team principal Flavio Briatore has made an offer to Fernando Alonso to return to the team that helped him become the sport's youngest double world champion in 2006.
But Briatore, quoted in Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, said any deal would hinge on whether Alonso, who was released from McLaren this week, could agree terms on the length of a contract.
"We will see what happens from here until Tuesday," said Briatore.
"I have introduced a plan for the future to Fernando and if his desires coincide with ours it can happen.
"I know how much he can still give to the Renault, but an agreement for a year would not make sense."
Renault is keen to recover quickly from a difficult season that saw it drop behind its competitors McLaren, Ferrari and BMW, and reuniting with Alonso is seen as clear opportunity to do just that.
The French car-maker's president Carlos Ghosn also made it clear that Briatore's plan had his backing.
"On the Alonso issue it is Briatore alone who decides," said Ghosn.
"I have delegated every decision that regards the sport to him."
Alonso however is believed to want a one-year contract, leaving him free to seek fresh opportunites in 2009, possibly with Ferrari.
This issue may prove a deal-breaker for the 26-year-old who has also been linked to Red Bull – which moved into the frame by dint of its huge funding and track record for paddock coups.
BUt while rumours of a RBR tie-up with Alonso refuse to go away, sources close to the team suggest a deal for next year is unlikely given the unstabilising affect a one-year deal with the McLaren refugee could have on its current set-up following a season of sustained forward momentum with David Coulthard and Mark Webber.
Red Bull's billionaire team owner Dietrich Mateschitz said on Saturday that his team was committed to its current drivers.
“We will see how things go," he told Gazzetta.
"Coulthard and Webber are our drivers 100% for 2008. But in F1 nothing is for sure, things are only very probable.”
Renault team principal Flavio Briatore has made an offer to Fernando Alonso to return to the team that helped him become the sport's youngest double world champion in 2006.
But Briatore, quoted in Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, said any deal would hinge on whether Alonso, who was released from McLaren this week, could agree terms on the length of a contract.
"We will see what happens from here until Tuesday," said Briatore.
"I have introduced a plan for the future to Fernando and if his desires coincide with ours it can happen.
"I know how much he can still give to the Renault, but an agreement for a year would not make sense."
Renault is keen to recover quickly from a difficult season that saw it drop behind its competitors McLaren, Ferrari and BMW, and reuniting with Alonso is seen as clear opportunity to do just that.
The French car-maker's president Carlos Ghosn also made it clear that Briatore's plan had his backing.
"On the Alonso issue it is Briatore alone who decides," said Ghosn.
"I have delegated every decision that regards the sport to him."
Alonso however is believed to want a one-year contract, leaving him free to seek fresh opportunites in 2009, possibly with Ferrari.
This issue may prove a deal-breaker for the 26-year-old who has also been linked to Red Bull – which moved into the frame by dint of its huge funding and track record for paddock coups.
BUt while rumours of a RBR tie-up with Alonso refuse to go away, sources close to the team suggest a deal for next year is unlikely given the unstabilising affect a one-year deal with the McLaren refugee could have on its current set-up following a season of sustained forward momentum with David Coulthard and Mark Webber.
Red Bull's billionaire team owner Dietrich Mateschitz said on Saturday that his team was committed to its current drivers.
“We will see how things go," he told Gazzetta.
"Coulthard and Webber are our drivers 100% for 2008. But in F1 nothing is for sure, things are only very probable.”