Fernando Alonso in demand - ernando Alonso in demand

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

Marca said that Renault boss Flavio Briatore was meeting with 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, were keen to sign up Alonso, who won his two world titles with them in 2005 and 2006 before leaving for McLaren, to a deal of at least two years in duration.

Marca said that Japanese carmakers 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 Sauber, Red Bull Renault and Williams Toyota, the paper said.

They speculated that Alonso would likely opt to 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 favourites to sign up Alonso on a one-year deal was Red Bull.

E.A.
Source AFP