Alain Prost on Renault's conundrum with Alonso

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Renault advisor Alain Prost would like nothing more than to see Fernando Alonso renew his allegiance to the French manufacturer, but a conundrum subsists.

With each passing race, Alonso appears to be drifting away from McLaren-Honda, a team which has failed to deliver to the Spaniard the competitive drive he expected since he returned to the Woking-based outfit in 2015.

Renault has emerged as an option for the two-time world champion although Renault Sport F1 boss has made clear the fact that the French team will not hire the driver at any cost.

But Prost also evokes another issue which could likely discourage the two parties getting back together.

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"We're a works team, so it's true that many drivers consider that we will eventually become a very good team," Prost told Nextgen-Auto.com.

"As far as Fernando is concerned, he was world champion with Renault over ten years ago. It would therefore be e great honour for us to have him in the team.

"But on the other hand, we know he wants to win straight away. And I don't think we can give him a winning car immediately.

"It is therefore a difficult problem to resolve."

On the subject of Robert Kubica, who now wishes to revive his F1 career, Prost adopts a more cautious view.

"Robert has tested for us, and he will test again but for now, we really can't say anything more. It's very difficult to judge what may be possible or not."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.