Sport

Renault take back Alonso

Formula One: Renault have appointed Fernando Alonso as their test driver for the next Formula One season, the team formerly known…

Sat Nov 03 2001 - 00:00

Formula One: Renault have appointed Fernando Alonso as their test driver for the next Formula One season, the team formerly known as Benetton said yesterday.

The move will come as a major disappointment to Minardi who had been hoping to secure the services of the 20-year-old Spaniard, whose contract is owned by Renault, for at least one more season after his promising debut year with them.

But Renault team principal Flavio Briatore has decided that he wants Alonso to support the partnership of Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button in 2002.

"We have followed Fernando's performance very closely this season. He did an excellent job, and we therefore decided that it was important to integrate him quickly into the Renault F1 programme," said Briatore in a statement.

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"As our test driver next year, Fernando will have the opportunity to fully develop his talent and, in seasons to come, I'm sure that he will be a strong asset in the team's challenge for the championship," the Italian added.

Alonso had a good first season in F1 with regular tail-enders Minardi, grabbing a best finish of 10th in the German Grand Prix.

Tennis: Jennifer Capriati is in great danger of losing top spot to Lindsay Davenport after Sandrine Testud beat her 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the WTA Championships in Munich yesterday.

All Davenport has to do now to finish the year in the driving seat is beat Belgian Kim Clijsters today in the semi-finals of the season-ending event for the world's top 16 players.

"I had a throat infection and a fever," said Capriati, who had her match put back 24 hours. "In the first set I didn't even know what the score was at one point. I was just kind of delirious out there."

Cycling: Italian cyclist Massimo Strazzer is facing a six-month ban from the sport after giving a non-negative result to a doping test for banned substance EPO, the Italian sports press reported yesterday.

At the moment the rider is considered innocent until the result of the second sample is made known but if that confirms the finding of the first he will face a six-month ban by disciplinary chiefs.