Fernando Alonso signs with Renault F1 team for 2021 season

The Spaniard, who won his only world titles for Renault in 2005 and 2006, last raced in F1 at the end of 2018 when he decided that F1 was no longer an attractive option for him.

Alonso will take the place of Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who has signed to join McLaren as replacement for the Ferrari-bound Carlos Sainz.

Following his title successes, Alonso quit to join McLaren in 2007 but his relationship there turned sour and he returned to Renault for the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

Although he won races, including a controversial one at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix when teammate Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed, the team could not deliver the title he was after.

Alonso subsequently moved to Ferrari from 2010 to 2014, before making a return to McLaren from 2015.

But his switch to McLaren failed to produce the kind of results he hoped for as he endured two difficult years with Honda-power prior to a final frustrating campaign with Renault engines as McLaren's car did not live up to expectations.

By the end of 2018, Alonso had grown tired of the demands of F1 and a lack of results, but his time away from it since then has given him new motivation to have one last assault.

His long-time manager Flavio Briatore said earlier this year that Alonso had been ‘detoxed’ by being away from F1 for a while.

Since leaving F1, Alonso has won the FIA World Endurance Championship for Toyota - including back-to-back victories at the Le Mans 24 Hours - and earlier this year competed in the Dakar Rally.for the Japanese manufacturer

He has also tried to win the Indianapolis 500 race, but failed to qualify last year although is having another attempt later this season.