The Hindu : Sport / Racing : Motor : Alonso much in demand

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 04, 2007
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Sport - Racing : Motor

Alonso much in demand

MADRID: The chase was on to sign up former Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso for next season with his old employer at Renault leading the way, Spanish sports dailies reported on Saturday.

Marca said that Renault boss Flavio Briatore was meeting the French team’s lawyers to hammer out the terms of a new contract that would shortly be offered to the 26-year-old Spaniard.

Renault, the paper said, was keen to sign up Alonso, who won his two world titles with it in 2005 and 2006 before leaving for McLaren, to a deal of at least two years in duration.

Marca said that Japanese carmaker Toyota had already offered a lucrative contract to Alonso but that he had turned it down.

Also in the hunt for the driver, who left McLaren on Friday after completing just one year of a three-year contract, were BMW, Red Bull and Williams, the paper said.

Marca speculated that Alonso would likely join one of the smaller teams on the Formula One circuit, in a transitional phase before eventually securing a move to Ferrari.

The AS sports daily said that the favourite to sign up Alonso on a one-year deal was Red Bull. — AFP

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