Username
Password
Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
By Renault Press Release
December 10 2007
The ING Renault F1 team today confirmed their 2008 driver line up with Fernando Alonso returning to the French outfit and being partnered by Renaults 2007 test driver Nelson Piquet JNR. This means there is a full driver change within the team and 2007 drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen will have to find drives with other teams



The Renault Formula 1 team confirmed that Fernando Alonso will return to the team after a one year absense. Alonso will be joined by Nelson Piquet jr. on the grid in 2008. Romain Grosjean will become the team's test driver for next season.

Fernando Alonso rejoins the Renault F1 Team after spending the 2007 season at McLaren-Mercedes. Alonso drove for the Renault F1 Team between 2003 and 2006, during which time he scored 15 Grand Prix victories and won two world championships, in 2005 and 2006. He will play a key role in the team's efforts to return to the front of the field in 2008.

Speaking about the announcement Flavio Briatore said: "Fernando and Nelsinho will form one of the most exciting driver line up of 2008. We are delighted to be welcoming Fernando back home to the team where he enjoyed his greatest success. His abilities as a driver and a team leader are well known, and we look forward to forging another strong partnership. What's more, he knows the team well and how we operate; he will feel comfortable straight away in this environment. Nelsinho is one of the most promising young talents in motorsport. After his success in GP2, he has spent a year learning the ropes as our test driver and getting to know the team; he is now ready to step up to the next level."

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

Goto Page: 12Next
Current Page: of 2
10 Dec, 2007 13:54 Report
Renault Rockets (IP Logged)
Unregistered User
Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet

ReplyQuote
10 Dec, 2007 14:18 Report
S4E (IP Logged)
BOOOOO
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location: London, UK
Posts: 13881
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
congrats 2 all reno fans, u got ur double champ back.

and i willing 2 bet nando will stay put at reno this time, the only way i c him leaving is if he gets a ferrari drive.

http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/7274/s4esighk3.jpg
http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/2443/legend001newey4.th.jpg

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER FORMULA 1 KING.

ReplyQuote
10 Dec, 2007 15:11 Report
Niki005 (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Mar, 2007
Location:
Posts: 182
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
I think I'm the only one who's not happy...

http://i7.tinypic.com/2gwi0w8.gif

ReplyQuote
10 Dec, 2007 15:38 Report
manuStudio (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 2973
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
Its been in the works for some time now...

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/1176/alonsodanslestanddesonary8.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/2v16mub.jpg
http://www.sloganizer.net/en/image,Renault-spc-F1-spc-Team,grey,blue.png

100% F1 Renault 2005-2006 WDC & WCC.

ReplyQuote
10 Dec, 2007 16:56 Report
SchumiF1 (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 4208
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
Well, I will only say this once. I'm disappointed with Renault, since they clearly didn't go with what would have been best for them: keeping Kovalainen.

ReplyQuote
10 Dec, 2007 17:13 Report
Viittapena (IP Logged)
A little-known fact: most Finnish sentences can be used as Microsoft product activation codes.
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location: Finland, Lahti
Posts: 2374
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
I'm disappointed aswell, Kovalainen should have stayed... BUT in the other hand, if Kovalainen stayed, then he would have propably been number 2 driver...
hoping Heikki finds a good place..

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a97/schumi1_/finns.jpg

ReplyQuote
10 Dec, 2007 17:17 Report
Niki005 (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Mar, 2007
Location:
Posts: 182
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
I agree with Heikki... But Alonso's always been the clear number one for Flavio...

I wish a lot of luck to Fisico, I hope he will find a place in Force India, for sure I still will support him!
Go Fisicooo!!! Go Renault!!!

http://i7.tinypic.com/2gwi0w8.gif

ReplyQuote
10 Dec, 2007 17:27 Report
La Costera (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 284
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
Back to success for Renault ...
Welcome home Nando ... for me as an Alonso fan just nice to see him back at RenaultF1, he should never had left.
Now his only challenge's gonna be to put Renault back at the top and to become three times World Champion. He showed everybody he's the number one right now fighting even Ron-y-boy down.
Congratulations for taking that CHALLENGE

ReplyQuote
11 Dec, 2007 07:22 Report
Nick Samuel (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 531
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
Home Sweet Home

ReplyQuote
11 Dec, 2007 11:28 Report
Duffer (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 5912
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
Hiekki has absolutely nothing on Alonso. I invite you to go back and watch a replay of the first 3 races of 2007 to find out just how large the gaping chasm of talet is between Lewis Hamilton and Hiekki Kovalienen. In conclusion, Alonso would wipe the garage floor with Kova!

Schumi F1 you are just a fanboy with an unreasonable dislike of a 2 times world champ.

ReplyQuote
11 Dec, 2007 11:39 Report
nightwolf2k5 (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 806
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
see hekki's later races to see how he really is..
i believe letting hekki go was a big big mistake..

ReplyQuote
11 Dec, 2007 13:15 Report
Kristien (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location: Manchester- England
Posts: 2267
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
you never know piquet JNR might turn out to be one hell of a racer. flavio knows what hes doing

http://i40.tinypic.com/29og7pl.jpg

ReplyQuote
11 Dec, 2007 14:24 Report
SchumiF1 (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 4208
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
Quote:
Duffer
Schumi F1 you are just a fanboy with an unreasonable dislike of a 2 times world champ.
Well, I'm not exactly a fan of Alonso, but I've always stated my opinion of him being the best driver in F1 now that Schumi is gone. Not that it has anything to do with this...
It was quite obvious that Piquet was chosen because of his name and major pressure from the Brazilian press rather than talent. Not that he isn't any good, but at this moment Renault would have been right to keep Kovalainen.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007:12:11:14:26:06 by SchumiF1.

ReplyQuote
11 Dec, 2007 15:05 Report
manuStudio (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 2973
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
Well according to Flavio, and he knows how to select good drivers...he was impress with Nelson's 2006 GP2 season, when is was going against Hamilton...so I think its a matter of time but he is a born racer...he's got the name sure, but now he's got to make himself a surname.

http://i42.tinypic.com/2v16mub.jpg
http://www.sloganizer.net/en/image,Renault-spc-F1-spc-Team,grey,blue.png

100% F1 Renault 2005-2006 WDC & WCC.

ReplyQuote
11 Dec, 2007 16:48 Report
Iskandar (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 488
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
and he comes with some decent info on the bridgestones

ReplyQuote
11 Dec, 2007 17:24 Report
manuStudio (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 2973
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
True...its gonna be great, Alonso comes with all that Mclaren and Ferrari info...heyhey grinning smiley lol j/k.

http://i42.tinypic.com/2v16mub.jpg
http://www.sloganizer.net/en/image,Renault-spc-F1-spc-Team,grey,blue.png

100% F1 Renault 2005-2006 WDC & WCC.

ReplyQuote
12 Dec, 2007 13:07 Report
manuStudio (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 2973
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
http://i13.tinypic.com/7wopdg4.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/2v16mub.jpg
http://www.sloganizer.net/en/image,Renault-spc-F1-spc-Team,grey,blue.png

100% F1 Renault 2005-2006 WDC & WCC.

ReplyQuote
12 Dec, 2007 14:10 Report
manuStudio (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 2973
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
This might explain why they took Piquet over Heikki...its all about $$$.

Quote:
The race to be Alonso's Renault deputy
Fisichella claims he was Alonso's choice
12/12/07 12:04

Giancarlo Fisichella has hinted that he was Fernando Alonso's preferred Renault team-mate for 2008.

The Spanish sports daily Marca quotes the Roman veteran as telling journalists last week at Jerez: "If I was the second driver, Fernando would already have signed for Renault."

Also in the frame to be double world champion Alonso's Renault team-mate for 2008 was Heikki Kovalainen, who is understood to have been deemed by team boss Flavio Briatore as an inappropriate 'number two' driver.

The Finn is now strongly linked with the vacant McLaren seat, as well as with Toyota to replace Jarno Trulli.

Ultimately, Renault plumped for rookie tester Nelson Piquet Jr, whose appointment as a race driver was believed to be a condition of the possible financial involvement of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim.


But Piquet's famous triple world champion father recently suggested that his son has no intention of settling for a number two seat in Formula One.

Spanish rookie Roldan Rodriguez, who drove for Piquet Snr's GP2 team in 2007, praised Alonso's new team-mate.

"Piquet is a very good guy," Rodriguez told Marca. "He helped me a lot when I was in his father's team. As a driver he is a specialist over a single lap and not quite as good in race pace, although he is very fast."

Source GMM
© CAPSIS International


http://i42.tinypic.com/2v16mub.jpg
http://www.sloganizer.net/en/image,Renault-spc-F1-spc-Team,grey,blue.png

100% F1 Renault 2005-2006 WDC & WCC.

ReplyQuote
18 Dec, 2007 13:57 Report
manuStudio (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 2973
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
Quote:
Watch out for Piquet, Fittipaldi tells Alonso
Beware, beware...
18/12/07 14:29

Expect tension again, warns Fittipaldi

Former World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi has warned Fernando Alonso to be wary of his new Formula One teammate.

The Brazilian veteran, who won the drivers' titles in 1972 and 1974, told the newspaper A Bola that he thinks Nelson Piquet Jr can be every bit a threat to Alonso as the Spaniard's troublesome 2007 teammate, Lewis Hamilton.

"Nelsinho Piquet is an excellent driver," he said.

"Last year he racked up 15,000 miles for Renault. I predict he is going to give the same problems, more problems, to Alonso than Hamilton did at McLaren," he added.


Fittipaldi acknowledges, however, that among Alonso's most valuable contributions to Renault will be his ability to develop the car.

"He is very good at that," the 60-year-old said.

© CAPSIS International
Source GMM



Interesting words from Fittipaldi, I hope its true, I hope that Nelson give Nando a good fight. grinning smiley

http://i42.tinypic.com/2v16mub.jpg
http://www.sloganizer.net/en/image,Renault-spc-F1-spc-Team,grey,blue.png

100% F1 Renault 2005-2006 WDC & WCC.

ReplyQuote
19 Dec, 2007 01:07 Report
spector (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 452
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
i think Alonso will replace Massa at Ferrari in the future

kimi and alonso would easily dominate the sport

ReplyQuote
19 Dec, 2007 02:30 Report
kashanf1 (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 75
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
yeah even i feel the same.alonso would be looking for one more title with our team(atleast).then he might move to ferrari.sad smiley
but i have a strong feeling that hulkenburg might drive for us.i had seen few rumors very long back when he was in a1 that his manager weber was in talks with flavio.lets see.but alonso i feel will surely be with RF1 for two years.and thats a very good thing for us.

ReplyQuote
19 Dec, 2007 11:00 Report
manuStudio (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 2973
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
2 years is the minimum.

http://i42.tinypic.com/2v16mub.jpg
http://www.sloganizer.net/en/image,Renault-spc-F1-spc-Team,grey,blue.png

100% F1 Renault 2005-2006 WDC & WCC.

ReplyQuote
19 Dec, 2007 11:41 Report
Kristien (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location: Manchester- England
Posts: 2267
Re: Renault confirms 2008 line-up: Alonso and Piquet
2 years is a good length of time and if we do well it might be even longer. i cant wait to see the 2 drivers in action.

http://i40.tinypic.com/29og7pl.jpg

ReplyQuote
Goto Page: 12Next
Current Page: of 2
Goto Thread: PreviousNext
Goto: Message ListLog In

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
We record all IP addresses on the Sportnetwork message boards which may be required by the authorities in case of defamatory or abusive comment. We seek to monitor the Message Boards at regular intervals. We do not associate Sportnetwork with any of the comments and do not take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed on the Message Boards. If you have any cause for concern over any material posted here please let us know as soon as possible by e-mailing abuse@sportnetwork.net