PlanetF1’s alternative F1 2020 awards
Date published:
December 24 2020
Rather than the usual award ceremony, let’s get to the categories that really matter the most with PlanetF1’s alternative F1 2020 awards.
Starting with…
Young Driver of the Year: Fernando Alonso
Move over Lando and George, there is a new young buck in town. When Sebastian Vettel’s confirmed departure at Ferrari created a domino effect of Carlos Sainz to the Scuderia and Daniel Ricciardo to replace him at McLaren, it paved the way for Renault to finally tap into their beloved young driver programme.
In there, they plucked out a fresh-faced kid from Oviedo called Fernando Alonso who has managed to have a remarkable impact on Formula 1 without even being on the actual grid.
Wolff: Formula 1 can learn from ‘spectacular’ RS25
Date published:
December 17 2020
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes Formula 1 needs to analyse what made the Renault RS25 “so attractive” in its demo run.
Across the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race weekend, Fernando Alonso took us all on a trip down memory lane as he returned to the track with his title-winning Renault RS25 of 2005.
It was meant as a way of celebrating the Renault name as the team prepare to rebrand to Alpine for the 2021 season, although that demo run ended up raising a fair few issues surrounding modern-day Formula 1.
There is no debating the V10-powered RS25 would have no place in Formula 1 now as the series works towards carbon neutrality, but as well as that much-missed roar of the engine, people flocked to watch the RS25 weave its way effortlessly around Yas Marina Circuit.
Ocon ‘would leave F1’ if he feared Alonso
Date published:
December 16 2020
Esteban Ocon has insisted he will not allow Fernando Alonso to dominate at Alpine next year in the way he did against Stoffel Vandoorne with McLaren.
And the Frenchman added that if he had any fears about taking on the two-time former World Champion, he would quit the sport!
Ocon and Alonso will be team-mates next year when Renault are rebranded to Alpine, with the Spaniard returning to Formula 1 after two years away as the replacement for McLaren-bound Daniel Ricciardo.
When Alonso last raced in F1, for McLaren in 2018, he achieved a best result of P5 at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix but swept the board against his team-mate Vandoorne in qualifying with a 21-0 head-to-head record.