03/12/2020
NEWS STORY
Renault has confirmed that Fernando Alonso will join Guanyu Zhou for the one day post-season test in Abu Dhabi.
Test driver Zhou and Alonso will get behind the wheel of the current contender, the R.S.20.
As part of his preparation for his return to the sport next season, the two-time world champion has been limited to a 100km filming day at Barcelona, in a 2018 car.
For some time the French outfit has lobbied for Alonso to be allowed to take part in the post-Abu Dhabi test, with opposition coming from a number of rival teams including McLaren.
"We would like to thank the FIA and F1 for their acceptance of our test plans," said Cyril Abiteboul, "made in recognition of our commitment to young drivers throughout junior motorsport and to Fernando's own dedication to furthering the careers of young talents.
"Zhou has experienced the benefit of the Renault Sport Academy, having joined its ranks last year. He has worked hard and made a genuine contribution to the performance of the team through his work in the simulator and test programme. I am delighted he can drive the R.S.20 to complement his journey so far.
"For Fernando this will be the next step in his return. He has worked tirelessly to make sure he is as ready as he possibly can be for 2021. He wants to contribute fully - not just to the team, but to the fans and the sport he has missed in the past two years."
Shanghai-born Zhou currently sits eighth in the F2 Championship with one win and five podiums to his name. The 21-year-old has completed five days of F1 testing in 2020, with runs in the R.S.18 car in Budapest, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, the latter of which were alongside Alonso, who returns to the sport in 2021 after a two-year hiatus.
Check out our Thursday gallery from Bahrain, here.