Column: The bar that Ricciardo sets might be too high for Alonso

Out of Formula 1

What has the break done to Alonso's abilities? It is clear that Alonso is fast and has not been sitting out of cars, but even the man who won seven world titles did not return to his old level. Michael Schumacher was beaten at Mercedes by Nico Rosberg, who cannot even be considered the best of his generation.

So the question is how will Alonso be? Can he meet the expectations that he has, but also those that his team has? It can be seen that this pressure on Alonso is increasing because where he first stated that he did not need tests, he is at the time of writing in the R.S. 18 to get the old feeling back and he also complained about the lack of test days.

What has he got to gain?

So the question is, what does he have to gain from his return? All arrows are focused on 2022, where Renault hope to return to the top under his leadership and compete again for the world title. Alonso won the last and only two titles Renault ever won, so who better than Alonso to try that again.

Of course, Alonso has his right to return to Formula 1. He must have missed it himself because the Alonso from a few years ago would not just join a project that is not even competing for victories. Alonso is also no longer the youngest, so fighting for victory will have to happen quickly.

Ricciardo sets the bar (too) high

And then there is perhaps the biggest problem and that is Daniel Ricciardo. Of course, Alonso hoped to be welcomed as a great hero at Renault and when Ricciardo announced his departure to McLaren before the start of the season, this also seemed an ideal position for Alonso to step in. 

However, things are different. How much better than Ricciardo can Alonso do in 2021? Ricciardo already has two podiums under his belt which is unique for a team like Renault in this era.

Also, take Esteban Ocon. The Frenchman has nothing to say against Ricciardo this year. If he manages to get even closer to Alonso, it can quickly be concluded that Alonso is weaker than Ricciardo. A conclusion that Alonso will not like to hear.

So it's great that Alonso is coming back and who knows, he might achieve something great with Renault, but Ricciardo's performance has made it almost impossible for Alonso to really impress. The exceptional performance has already been achieved by the Australian, who is doing what Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz have left behind with their current teams. The bar is set extremely high for Alonso. Can he shine one more time or will he dive under the bar, just like his former rival Schumacher?

This article was originally posted on GPblog.com/nl and was written by Tim Kraiij