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Fernando Alonso will drive a Renault Formula 1 car this season ahead of his racing return next year, with the team assessing three options to get him on-track.
F1 has strict testing rules and the only opportunity to run a contemporary car during the season is on restricted filming days, limited to 100km of running with promotional tyres.
At the end of the year, a post-season test is scheduled in Abu Dhabi that is meant to be reserved for drivers without more than two grand prix starts in their career.
Unrestricted testing can be carried out with cars from 2018 or earlier though, a strategy deployed by Renault and others to get their drivers and race teams back up to speed following the lengthy hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic between pre-season testing and the first round.
Renault is considering all three of the above options for two-time world champion Alonso, having ruled out running him in an FP1 session during a grand prix weekend.
A filming day to allow Alonso to familiarise himself with the current car and 2018 programme to allow him to test without mileage constraints would aid his fitness and re-education.
Alonso looks set to drive the old car, and though these options are of limited value anything will be beneficial to the Spaniard given next year’s pre-season is expected to be only three days – giving him a day and a half in the team’s 2021 car before heading into his world championship comeback.
Running Alonso in the 2020 car in the Abu Dhabi post-season test would require dispensation from the FIA, which it does allow for within the sporting regulations.
“He’s definitely keen on getting back behind the steering wheel, so we’ll see,” said Renault team boss Cyril Abiteboul.
“We are building the programme. There are a couple of opportunities within the restriction of the sporting regulation.
“Things like filming days that we’ve not done so far, there is a post-season test: we’ll see where we get there.
“We also have a two-years old car programme that we can run pretty much anywhere and he will probably do a bit of that also.
“So, you’ll see him in action. I can’t say where and when exactly yet.”
Alonso spent two days at the team’s Enstone factory this week and one at Viry in France, which allowed him to take part in engineering meetings, complete a seat fit and try the Renault simulator.
He has promised to help Renault over grand prix weekends, but it is unclear in what capacity.
Alonso is following race weekends remotely at present and said it is important to make sure he is as prepared as possible off-track given his on-track opportunities will be limited.
Abiteboul said he has already seen how “happy” Alonso is to be back in an F1 environment, “in particular a team that he knows and where he obviously has good souvenirs”.
“But souvenirs are not a reflection of what’s going to happen so we need also to be forward looking,” said Abiteboul, whose team will run under the Alpine banner next year for Alonso’s return.
“I think, being on the Viry side – because I can’t travel in the UK myself I was not in the UK – I can tell you that he was really impressed by all the changes in Viry, all the new people, the energy, the drive, the determination in Viry that there is in developing a new engine.
“Obviously I’m biased when I say that but it’s something that is extremely important to us, so see Fernando and to see his pride and the excitement in his eyes.
“He’s also been a witness to all the changes in Enstone – but a nice building is not again a statement of what’s coming.
“So, we just need to work very hard to make sure he has a car that he wants and also that he deserves.”
