Age is not the issue, says returning Alonso
VIDEO SHOWS: VIRTUAL PRESS CONFERENCE WITH FERNANDO ALONSO
SHOWS: INTERNET (JULY 8, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FERNANDO ALONSO SAYING:
"In Formula One for many years the time watch (stopwatch) is the only thing that matters, not the age.
"I never had a classification on the race based on the passport, date of birth. Always on the time watch. So hopefully we're still faster than them"
2. WHITE FLASH
3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CYRIL ABITEBOUL, RENAULT TEAM PRINCIPAL, SAYING:
"It's a very important question because I can already expect that our decision to rejoin with Fernando could be seen as a lack of interest or loyalty towards our project of the Renault Sport Academy. And it's not.
"I want to be extremely clear that it's not, the plan indeed of the academy was to be involved when we formed the academy to be able to have a driver joining in 2021, and who knows maybe it is the case. But let's face it it's true that this year this crisis has many impact, many severe impact, one of which is to delay the season start and therefore delay our ability to enjoy the performance of the two eldest from our academy Guanyu Zhou and Christian Lundgaard. Both of them have done an extremely good weekend, Zhou in particular could have won the race, and Christian was P4 in his first race without any winter test.
"So we are very very serious about the academy, very serious about those two people in particular, and the plan will remain to see how they can join Formula One. Indeed I'm sure that Fernando, like Esteban, has lots to bring to their development."
4. WHITE FLASH
5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FERNANDO ALONSO SAYING:
"Obviously it's an extremely happy day for me, coming back to where I won first but also to the team that I had the best experience. So happy for this, I know a lot of people in Renault, I know many of the engineers, the mechanics, I know their passion, I know how hungry for success they still have.
"I think with the new rules as well in 2022 there is that chance of having the championship a little more equal between the teams and more fair between the teams."
STORY: Two-times Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso said age was not the issue after securing a comeback deal with Renault to race into his 40s.
The Spaniard turns 39 this month and, after two seasons out, will be returning next year with the team that took him to his titles in 2005 and 2006.
"In Formula One for many years the time watch (stopwatch) is the only thing that matters, not the age," Alonso told reporters in a video news conference on Wednesday (July 8).
"I never had a classification on the race based on the passport, date of birth. Always on the time."
Alonso will be the oldest driver next year if his former Ferrari team mate Kimi Raikkonen, already 40 and now with Alfa Romeo, decides to stop.
While 40-year-old racers were relatively common in the sport's early days, they are a rarity in modern Formula One with an increasing emphasis on youth.
McLaren's Lando Norris, third in Austria last weekend, was only one-year-old when Alonso started racing at now-defunct Minardi in 2001.
Alonso's future team mate Esteban Ocon is 23 and said last week that the Spaniard's success "gave me the love for the sport".
Team principal Cyril Abiteboul recognised some would question Renault's choice of a veteran over an emerging young talent.
"I can already expect that our decision... could be seen as a lack of interest or loyalty towards our project of the Renault Sport Academy. And it's not," he said.
Abiteboul said the COVID-19 pandemic that delayed the season had made it hard to evaluate China's Guanyu Zhou and Denmark's Christian Lundgaard, the leading academy candidates.
"We are very serious about the academy, very serious about those two people in particular," added the Frenchman.
"I'm sure Fernando, like Esteban, has lots to bring to their development."
(Production: Andy Ragg)
