Daniel Ricciardo will leave Renault after two years for McLaren. The Australian's place will be taken by Fernando Alonso. According to Renault team boss Cyril Abiteboul, there are clear differences between working with Ricciardo and Alonso.
Secretly shy
"Ricciardo is more intuitive than analytical. He needs to have fun and find an environment that is conducive to that," said Abiteboul to GP Racing according to Motorsport-Total.com. According to the French team boss, Ricciardo is actually a little shy. "He's actually quite shy."
"It took me some time to decipher what and understand what is really behind that smile," Abiteboul added. Alonso, on the other hand, is more straightforward: "He is probably a little more aggressive and demanding."
Return of Alonso
"Fernando is a completely different type. He will be blunt about the engine, the car, the strategy, the organisation. We know that," concluded Abiteboul. Behind the scenes, Alonso is already working hard on his return. He can regularly be found at Enstone and he has already tested several times with an older Renault F1 car.