Alonso: “The R.S.20 has revived my competitiveness a little more”

No more question of 100 km limit, this time Fernando Alonso found in more representative conditions the car RS20 this Tuesday in Abu Dhabi for the end of season rookie tests.

The Spaniard, aligned with Renault F1 Team alongside Guanyu-Zhou, has signed best time of the day in 1'36″333 (for the record and in totally different conditions, Max Verstappen took pole last Saturday in 1'35"246, Esteban Ocon establishing the best time for a Renault in 1'36″359).

The double world champion also accumulated 105 laps and found the competition mode he missed so much. “It was really nice to be back with the car, and even more so with the racing team, admits Alonso.

I tried the 2018 one to prepare myself, but this one seemed more intense and it revived my competitiveness a little more. It was great to feel what modern single-seaters are capable of.

I closely followed the team's progress this weekend and today I was able to discover in the cockpit everything I had learned from the outside. We validated many elements seen during our preparation at the factory such as the adjustment of the seat, the position of the pedals, etc.

This will benefit us with only a day and a half of winter testing next year. Many boxes have been ticked today and we are entering the holiday season in a good frame of mind and with each member of the team more motivated than ever. »

A run which had aroused certain reservations among Renault's rivals, Alonso being difficult to assimilate to a driver usually aligned with these rookie tests.

Three days of testing will be organized during the off-season before the resumption of the World Championship in March 2021 in Australia. Enough to allow Alonso and Renault, this time with the 2021 single-seater, to find even more automation.