The race is on and it's going to be on again for Fernando Alonzo in F1 next year,

with confirmation that he'll drive for Renault, attempt to recapture those past glories

when he won those two world championships that he somehow failed to add to

in the intervening years. I'm Ed Strawer, and joining me for this special edition of the Race F-on

podcast Extra is Mark Hughes. Mark, you're still camped out in Austria in the heat, the excessive

heat by the sounds like at least you've had this news to keep you busy.

Yeah, oh yes, yeah.

Delighted to have to churn out loads more words in between these three Grand Prix

and three weekends.

But yeah, I mean, it's great news.

I think it is anyway.

It's something that seems to have split a lot of fans.

Quite a divisive character, as always.

But, yeah, I'm quite excited by it.

And I've been waiting for it.

I wasn't surprised by it.

It's just, for me, it was a case of when it was going to be made official.

But, yeah, great, great stuff.

Yeah, I'd agree with that. I mean, it's not quite the right team for him, really, but it's the only team that's available of that level. So, you know, if he wants to get back into it, he's got to

do it. So that's why it makes sense from that perspective. But that point you make about him being divisive, let's just start there in general terms. I almost feel like Alonso has become this pantomime figure, hasn't he, which I think is a little bit unfair, really, because he's a, you know, he's a high-quality driver. Yes, he's had his problems. Yes, he hasn't always made the

perfect decisions and conducted himself in the perfect way. But he's an outstanding driver.

He does incredible things behind the wheel. And that's what really, really matters, isn't it?

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