Prost: "Renault was talking to three great champions"

Renault have announced Fernando Alonso as their driver to drive alongside Esteban Ocon for the 2021 season. The Spaniard returns to the royal class of motor racing after a two-season absence from F1.

Sebastian Vettel was also high on Cyril Abiteboul's list as a possible replacement for Daniel Ricciardo, who is moving to McLaren. Abiteboul, however, was silent when asked about who else was considered.

Renault advisor Alain Prost, however, has indicated that several drivers were eligible for Ricciardo's seat. "There were three great champions: Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Valtteri Bottas," revealed Prost in an interview with Radio Monte Carlo.

"For Sebastian, it was a little less clear in the sense that his motivation was not quite clear," said Prost. Abiteboul had previously stressed that the conversations never became concrete.

"For Valtteri, it was difficult because he has the best car. We wanted someone who was not a replacement, but someone who was fully motivated for our project," concluded Prost.