Ocon would welcome Alonso as Renault F1 team-mate in 2021
Esteban Ocon says he would be "very happy" for two-time world champion Fernando Alonso to re-join Renault and become his Formula 1 team-mate for 2021
Ocon will be working with a new team-mate next year after current partner Daniel Ricciardo confirmed in May he would be joining McLaren at the end of the season.
It has led to Alonso - who won both his F1 titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006 - to be linked with a return to the team, having walked away from the sport at the end of 2018 following a difficult four-season spell with McLaren.
PLUS: The big questions for F1 2020 2.0
When asked by Autosport about his team-mate preference for 2021, Ocon said that while he has no input into the decision he would like to see Alonso make a comeback.
"My personal choice has no relation to what the team is going to do," Ocon said.
"I have a great relationship with Fernando. The helmet I have and the only swap I did in between the drivers was with him.
"He was the one with Michael [Schumacher], his fights back in the day, that gave me the love for the sport.
"I don't know if he's going to join or not with us, but definitely if he could come back, I would be very happy."
Asked if Renault F1 team boss Cyril Abiteboul knew his feelings, Ocon replied: "I don't know, maybe we should discuss that later."
Renault has stressed it will not rush into any decision on who will replace Ricciardo for 2021, but has two world champions in the form of Alonso and Sebastian Vettel - who will leave Ferrari - as free agents.
Renault also has a young driver academy featuring two F2 drivers, Guanyu Zhou and Christian Lundgaard, who could stake a claim for a seat.
Analysis: Is this the driver who could fill Renault's F1 void for 2021?
Ricciardo raced with Vettel at Red Bull in 2014, and said if he could pick between either of the two available champions, he would choose Alonso - purely for a new experience to grow from.
"I would only say Alonso just because it's something I'm yet to experience," said Ricciardo, who will race alongside Lando Norris next season.
"Team-mates are great benchmarks and also great additions to your skill set. You can always learn something.
"I don't believe there's any driver in this sport that's been perfect yet. There's always an improvement to make.
"For that I would say Fernando. In that as well, I only had 12 months with Seb. That went pretty quickly, so I wouldn't be opposed to that again."
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Has Alonso made the right choice gambling on Aston Martin F1?
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
How ‘demanding’ Alonso has started life with Aston Martin
Alonso: No F1 team has Aston Martin’s ‘ambitions’ as Newey intrigue flies
Alonso will be "first to raise my hand" if he loses F1 edge at 45
Suzuka sensation redeemed Alonso, but his F1 future is complicated
Friday favourite: Renault's original F1 title-winner that began the Alonso era
The hidden hero behind Alonso’s Enstone F1 glory years
Why Renault's survivor wasn't part of Alpine's plans
Dale Coyne Racing retains Harvey for Long Beach IndyCar race
How to watch WRC's Croatia Rally: schedule, line-up and more
McLaren F1 team bracing for "damage limitation" in Chinese GP
How Porsche won, lost and won in Misano Formula E mayhem
The secrets of F1 turbocharging explained
Why Alpine’s rigorous training camp yields telling insights into its juniors
Ranking Derek Warwick’s top 10 greatest races
The ironic reason Newey thinks Red Bull hasn't been caught in F1 yet
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments