Briatore: Alonso Not Going Anywhere

Renault boss Flavio Briatore has warned his rival teams that he will not let go of young protege Fernando Alonso for any price following the Spaniard's impressive start to the 2003 season.

Alonso, who is tipped to become one of the sport's top stars in the future, is racing with Renault this year and has already scored three podiums in five races. He was signed by the team as a test driver last year and his performances in the opening races have underlined the team's confidence in dropping Briton Jenson Button to make space for him.

Briatore has warned any of his rivals that the young Spaniard is staying at Renault and said: "Even Ferrari don't have the money to get Alonso. He is staying with us forever. Well, okay, you can't say forever but he will definitely be here for a few more years.

"We always knew he was a special talent and people can see that now. We are building the team around him."

Briatore, when he ran the Benetton team in the early 1990s, snapped up current World Champion Michael Schumacher after the young German had completed just one race for Jordan. He went on to build the team around the future title winner and he is now planning to do the same with Alonso, who is already the most successful Spaniard in the sport.

"There is no doubt that he has the ability to become world champion," Briatore told the Sunday Mirror. "You cannot say if he will be better than Schumacher - all drivers are different. But it's like watching the same movie 10 years on."