Fernando Alonso’s early and unexpected announcement way back in December 2005 that he will be driving for McLaren as of 2007 added much impetus to the rife speculation that Renault was to quit Formula One – as discussed in our column Renault’s F1 affair to end?
And now the man himself has told La Repubblica that the uncertainty surrounding Renault’s future in F1 is indeed what drove him to switch to McLaren.
The Spaniard admitted that he did not know what Renault’s future plans were and that, even had Renault stayed in the sport, their commitment to investing to the extent that they would keep winning was by no means guaranteed.
Renault have, of course, since put paid to the speculation during the course of the 2006 season by making various announcements and trying to lure Kimi Raikkonen to the team.
DailyF1News.com
