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LONDON - Double world champion Fernando Alonso began a new adventure on Tuesday with his first test for Renault since his ill-fated move to McLaren at the end of 2006.
The 26-year-old Spaniard, who left McLaren in November after just one stormy season with the Mercedes-powered team, stepped back into the familiar Renault cockpit on home territory at the Jerez circuit.
"I was a bit tentative to begin with because it has been a long time since I have driven an F1 car, but I could not wait to start working with the team," the Spaniard said in an interview released by Renault.
"Of course, this was the first time that I have driven without traction control but towards the end of my runs I started gradually to take a few more risks with the car."
Alonso said the team was different to the one he had left after winning the 2005 and 2006 titles.
"There have been some big changes, they have improved a lot of things and strengthened many areas, so in one sense it is a new adventure with a new team.
"At the same time it is impossible to forget the six years I spent as a Renault driver and my memories of that time are still strong."
Alonso won four races with McLaren but finished third in last year's championship.
The Spaniard's relationship with that team steadily deteriorated as they insisted on equal treatment with British rookie Lewis Hamilton, who went on to finish runner-up in the championship behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.
McLaren also became embroiled in a long-running spy controversy over leaked Ferrari data that ended with them being stripped of all their constructors' points and fined US$100 million ($128.28 million).
Alonso said his approach to the new season, which starts in Australia on March 16, would be no different despite the difficulties of last year.
"At the start of any season, the only thing I want to do is work hard and to give maximum effort to achieve my potential," he said, sporting a new helmet design for the year ahead.
"I know I can do this successfully with... Renault because we have managed it in the past," added the Spaniard.
"I want to give everything I can and I know the team will do everything to win."
Alonso said he had been training intensively in Switzerland and was looking forward to testing before the launch of the 2008 car in Paris at the end of the month.
Alonso has another 22-year-old rookie team mate in Brazilian Nelson Piquet junior, son of the triple champion and namesake, but he expected no repeat of the problems he faced at McLaren alongside Hamilton.
"For 2008, I don't anticipate problems with anybody and (Renault team boss) Flavio (Briatore) has always demonstrated that he can manage these situations very well," he said.
- REUTERS
