Fernando Alonso insists he has absolutely no regrets about having returned to
Renault this year – arguing the
Régie is the most consistent of all the midfield
Formula 1 teams in 2008, even if he does have only 13 points to show for it so far.
The former double world champion went back to the squad with whom he secured his two, back-to-back drivers' world crowns in 2005 and 2006 following a miserable year spent at McLaren-Mercedes in 2007, punctuated by very public bust-ups with both team principal Ron Dennis and rookie team-mate
Lewis Hamilton.
Though it has admittedly thus far been far from the happiest of homecomings results-wise, Alonso is adamant that it was the right move to make.
“We have not had the best results,” he candidly acknowledged, speaking to Spanish newspaper
Diario AS. “I'm not in the press conferences or the podiums, or fighting for the world championship, but for me last year was much worse.
“By the end I knew that I was not able to win. It has been a much better year than if I had not moved.”
Indeed, in terms of hard points finishes, the 26-year-old has only troubled the scorers on five occasions in nine races to-date this season, the best of those being a somewhat attrition-aided fourth place in the curtain-raiser Down Under in Melbourne.
In the midfield driver battle, he sits behind both
Toyota's
Jarno Trulli and Red Bull Racing ace
Mark Webber. Renault similarly trails the two teams in the constructors' standings, with fellow former title-winners
Williams also ahead and
Honda only now a point further in arrears.
Red Bull, Honda and Toyota were all considered by the Spaniard as potential 2008 destinations late last year, but Alonso maintains that he is in the best place he could possibly be under the circumstances.
“Everything suggested that Renault was the safest and most logical choice,” he asserted, “even though we took our time because it was not so clear. Sometimes Toyota or Red Bull are better than us this year, but maybe we are the most consistent.
