Renault’s Cyril Abiteboul says the returning Fernando Alonso is like “an enormous shark,” however that his arrival in 2021 is not going to distract Renault from its long-term objectives.
Alonso is changing McLaren-bound Daniel Ricciardo subsequent season, which would be the remaining 12 months below the present aerodynamic rules. Formulation One hopes the sweeping adjustments to the foundations for 2022 will shake up the pecking order after seven years of unchallenged Mercedes domination.
Final week, Alonso returned to the cockpit of an F1 car in a Renault check at Spain’s Circuit de Catalunya, simply days after Ricciardo had claimed the staff’s first podium end since returning to the grid in 2016. Regardless of the staff’s clear upward trajectory, Abiteboul is decided to maintain the larger image in focus.
Abiteboul mentioned Alonso has proven a full dedication to the long-term challenge since signing his 2021 contract.
“You’ll be impressed to measure his degree of curiosity,” Abiteboul mentioned of the two-time world champion. “I believe that when he truly joined the staff, his communication was very a lot about 2022; the way in which the staff and season and the automobile has progressed, the extra he begins to be concerned with 2021.
“Fernando is sort of a huge shark: As quickly as he begins to really feel the blood, he desires to assault. That is what I see — a shark, very indignant.”
Regardless of Alonso’s dedication to search out prompt success, Abiteboul mentioned he should make sure the staff doesn’t lose sight of its long-term objectives.
“We should have a really strict self-discipline,” Abiteboul mentioned. “In relation to that, the FIA has made our scenario and life simpler; from a strategic perspective there isn’t any query mark. Proper now, it’s full steam forward on the 2021 automobile. … Now we have no means to develop the aerodynamics of the 2022 automobile.
“And we even have came upon that, regardless of the limitation from the homologation and the token system, there may be various efficiency that’s going to return from the 2021 automobile.”
He added: “It is good, however I also can let you know that on the primary of January 2022, the 2021 [season] will probably be behind. There will probably be one hundred pc deal with the 2022 automobile, so regardless of the higher outcomes, regardless of Fernando pushing additionally, our agenda shouldn’t change — is not going to change. The agenda will probably be to place the precedence on the 2022 automobile.”
