Formula 1: Fernando Alonso in the 2008 Renault: Grand homecoming or ill-fated comeback?

Not since Ayrton Senna has Formula 1 seen such an enigmatic, impulsive and hot-headed champion like Fernando Alonso. Sure there was the clinical Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher, the calm and focused Mika Hakkinen and even the erratic Jacques Villeneuve but such a feisty, intense and prodigal talent comes only once in a while.

Just when a sense of monotony had set in on Formula 1 with the ever-dominant Schumacher stamping his authority all over the new millennium, Alonso came along and took the bull by the horns. Not afraid to look the champion in the eye, and completely catching him unaware, Alonso swiftly pulled the carpet from under the Rainmeister’s feet.

And just to prove that 2005 wasn’t a flash in the pan, Alonso came hard again in 2006 as well, but this time Michael was prepared and what followed was a grand battle that saw more than its share of ups and down and finally ending in the epic, emotionally draining Brazilian Grand Prix of 2006.

But the youngest Formula 1 champion owes a major part of his success to his manager and mentor, Flavio Briatore, and his team at Renault. In an almost Ferrari-esque manner, Renault had managed to focus solely on Alonso, virtually ignoring Giancarlo Fisichella and putting everything they had towards helping Alonso win. But such was the sheer strength of their car that the oft-neglected Fisichella managed to notch up a couple of wins and regular podium positions as well.

That said, at the end of 2006 Alonso wisely predicted that the upsurge at Renault wouldn’t last long and immediately went to McLaren in 2007, probably aware of their policy of equal treatment to their drivers, yet hoping his champion status would make them behave otherwise.

But that was not to be, and the rest, as they say, is history. Alonso with nowhere to go, has gone back to a place where he is more comfortable. The environment, the support staff, the management – Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds and even a rookie team mate Nelson Piquet Jr – all seem to be in his favour this time around.

Except, of course, the car. Renault was woefully out of form last year with only 51 points on the constructors’ leader board. Their lone podium in 2007 was a second place in a race of attrition in Japan. Having been so successful with Michelin, the switch to Bridgestone proved tricky and cost them dearly.

There were many times the Renaults didn’t make it to the third and final qualifying session as well. Agreed, Alonso has the capability to extract that extra bit from a car which an average driver perhaps wouldn’t be able to, but when your car is lagging so much behind in terms of the competition, even the most optimistic driver will have reservations about it.

The deal between Alonso and Renault is, at best, a marriage of convenience, with both parties coming out of it with gains. Alonso, given his relationship with Ron Dennis, had no option but to quit McLaren, and found no other team agreeing to his terms and with his rapport with Briatore,

Renault was the best he could get. Renault, who probably know that the R28 might lag behind, as testing has shown recently, now have a slightly better chance at scoring points with Alonso at the helm.

Unless the R28 is mind-numbingly quick in race conditions, Alonso, almost certainly, won’t be looking at this deal as a long-term solution but merely as a stop-gap arrangement. With a lot of driver deals set to expire by the end of 2008, Alonso would be looking to start afresh in a new team in 2009. With Ferrari, McLaren and BMW setting the pace in testing all winter, the chances of a third championship for Alonso and Renault look bleak.

It is indeed sad that Alonso, who had once beaten the champion, Michael Schumacher, fair and square, will now be left battling in the mid-field among lesser mortals in Williams’, Hondas and Toyotas.