With Renault seemingly on the brink of an F1 comeback as a works outfit, who should the French manufacturer turn to for its driver line-up?
Pastor Maldonado has already been signed up to continue with the Enstone based team next season, much to the surprise of many who follow the sport. The controversial Venezuelan has gained a reputation of being reckless in wheel-to-wheel racing, and has had more than his fair share of accidents over the years, undoubtedly costing his team points and subsequently money in the Constructers championship.
It’s easy therefore, to suggest that the money he brings in sponsorship from the Venezuelan government offsets and outweighs that lost from his various escapades into the barriers.
It’s important to remember though that Maldonado has gone toe-to-toe with Fernando Alonso for a race victory – and won. The 2012 Spanish Grand Prix may well appear to be one of the biggest sporting anomalies in recent times, but that one race victory gives him kudos that more steady drivers, like Romain Grosjean and Nico Hulkenberg, simply don’t have. Both Grosjean (Japan 2013) and Hulkenberg (Brazil 2012) have led races outright and on merit, but both failed to see them through to the chequered flag.
So who will partner the Venezuelan next season? It’s hard to imagine Renault wouldn’t have been desperate for Romain Grosjean to remain at Enstone, but the Frenchman’s decision to move to newcomers Haas F1 (with an eye on a Ferrari drive for 2017), leaves them looking elsewhere.
Jean-Eric Vergne seems like the most viable option. French, plenty of F1 experience and currently without a drive, although he is under contract at Ferrari as a test driver, Vergne would represent a solid replacement for Grosjean. After he was ditched by Torro Rosso at the end of 2014, Vergne joined Andretti Autosport in Formula E, securing 3 pole positions and 2 podium finishes.
It’s also important to note how favourably he compared to Daniel Ricciardo during their time at Torro Rosso. There was little to choose between them, and considering Ricciardo’s performances in the Red Bull, it bodes well that Vergne could produce something similar in a competitive car.
19-year-old Esteban Ocon has also been linked with Renault. Currently racing in GP3, the young Frenchman is tied up in the Mercedes development programme, making a switch to Renault unlikely.
What about something a bit more left-field, Fernando Alonso? On the face of it, it seems about as likely as the Spaniard returning to Ferrari. Alonso has 2 years left on his McLaren contract and Ron Dennis has said he will see that through. But Alonso has been vocal in his displeasure at the Honda power unit, and he has wriggled out of contracts before; at McLaren themselves and Ferrari. Could a return to the team he won his 2 world championships with be on the cards? With Renault also struggling with the power-unit, albeit not to the same extent as Honda, it seems highly unlikely. But who’d have thought Alonso would have gone back to McLaren for a second time…
