Abiteboul doesn't announce a new driver yet: "Don't want to make a hasty decision"

Fernando Alonso

The name Fernando Alonso was soon mentioned as one of the possible successors of Ricciardo, who in turn leaves for McLaren. Alonso has driven for Renault twice before and it is also the team with which he won the world championship in 2005 and 2006.

But Abiteboul doesn't want to say anything about a possible return of the Spaniard. "We haven't even raced yet, not even a single session. We have only completed the winter tests. Our performance looked encouraging, but we still don't know where we stand", Abiteboul said in conversation with Motorsport.com.

The choice takes time

Abiteboul thinks it's important that they first have a good idea of where they stand with the team. "Before we decide where to set our priorities and where to spend our money, I want to have such an indication. I certainly don't want to make a hasty decision. Our position is that we first take the time to be well informed", explains the Frenchman.

Abiteboul does let us know that the drivers who will be driving for the team in 2021 will most likely also be in the cars in 2022. He also says that the announcement won't come before the 2020 season is already well underway. "First we also want to see how competitive Guanyu Zhou and Christian Lundgaard are, those are two drivers who have collected enough super license points with a fourth place in the Formula 2 championship. They could also be options for us", Abiteboul concluded.