Alonso happy with Italian leadership at Alpine: 'You need that fire'

Fernando Alonso will step back into a Formula One car in 2021, and for that, he has returned to Renault. However, he will be racing for the Alpine team, and he will also have an Italian leader again. A familiar recipe for success?

At the end of 2018, Alonso left Formula One. The project at McLaren had ended and although the upward trend had started with Renault engines, Alonso had to take a break. Now he is back in Formula 1 and at Alpine, he gets the chance to show how good he is once again.

However, after Alonso's signing, a lot has changed within Renault. Not only will the name of the Formula 1 team change, but CEO Jerome Stoll and team boss Cyril Abiteboul have left. However, with Luca de Meo and also Flavio Brivio, Alonso has to deal with Italians again. A success formula from the days of 2005 and 2006?

''I am full of confidence and that starts with the boss. The CEO of Renault loves racing and I think that is a fundamental aspect for a manufacturer active in Formula 1. You have to have that fire from the top. I was happy to see Luca at some races in 2020. I can see how enthusiastic he is and how he excites everyone in the team,'' Alonso told Italy's RAI.

A previous collaboration with an Italian top executive at Renault went well. He won two world titles with Flavio Briatore. ''That is certainly true. There has always been a link with Italy. I am quite happy with that because I really appreciate the passion that Italians have for racing'', the Spaniard concludes.